Calling
by AncientCrest
Summary: After the events of Advent Children and Dirge of Cerberus, a group of friends comes together yet again to fight against a force that is set on destroying their world and all of mankind. The adventures of Cloud and his friends continue, as they return order in their world, face their own personal struggles and fight to return the safety of the planet. Cloud x Aerith
1. Out For A Ride

**Chapter One - Out For a Ride**

The crowded streets of the city of Edge were bustling with activity, as the late afternoon had just set in. The city's narrow streets were filled with children playing, businessmen rushing to get the next train for work and the occasional crazed woman doing errands throughout the day. The city was located just on the outskirts of Midgar, a now abandoned town, separated into several sectors underneath a large plate. The clouded sky cast a dull gloom throughout the city. The tall street buildings stretched into the sky, casting shadows along the street corners and alleys between buildings. The city's streets all led to a central plaza, a common gathering place for the citizens of Edge to gather throughout the day.

It had been several months since the effects of the Geostigma disease had been cured throughout Edge and the people of the city began to piece their lives back together again. The disease caused great devastation and death. It caused people to give up their dreams, their families, their friends. The incurable disease caused people to accept death. The miraculous waters from an old church located in the slums of Midgar had provided the healing properties to heal the ailments of Geostigma. Six months had passed and the people of the city had continued to live their lives, just as they ordinarily would have.

From behind the corner of one of the buildings, Cloud Strife stepped into the central plaza of the city, letting out a small sigh when he felt a drop of water fall onto his arm. The clouded skies were starting to open into a slight mist. The man rounded the corner and hopped aboard his motorcycle, Fenrir, which was parked just on the edge of the sidewalk, before taking off down the streets.

* * *

Just off of the bustling, busy streets of the central plaza, a small bar by the name of Seventh Heaven was located. The bar had seen a quiet afternoon, only receiving a few patrons every hour. Behind the bar's counter, Tifa had already started to clean the counter tops and the dishes, preparing to close the bar early. The woman opened the register and let out a sigh, upset that she had not met the sales that she was hoping to for the day.

"Damn weather", replied Barrett, who was sitting at one of the bar's stools with a cold beer in hand.

Tifa let out another exasperated sigh, "I know. It's been awful lately. When it gets like this, people often times go home to spend the night in. Not exactly good for business", she replied, letting out the smallest of laughs.

"What do you mean not good for business?!" Reno slammed his empty glass down on the counter, gulping down the last of the beverage. "I've been here since at least two this afternoon!"

Tifa smirked, rolling her eyes, "I'm well aware."

As Reno demanded another order of beverages, Tifa set off back behind the counter, examining a few of the bottles and mixing a drink together.

"So, how did things in Corel go, Barrett?", she asked, passing the fresh drink to Reno.

"It was a mess down there, Can't say I ain't too surprised, though! The place was a junk heap when I lived there far back, an' its only gottin' worse! I'm just glad I got Marlene out of there when I did."

Tifa smiled, "Yeah, Marlene's been great around here. She became really close with Denzel after Cloud had found him and now the two are just inseparable. She's a great girl."

"Thanks, Tifa. And thanks for taking care of her while I was gone. It woulda been a bad choice on my part to take her with me."

Tifa thought about the past couple of months taking care of both Marlene and Denzel. 'It has added more work onto my plate, but it really has been fun.' The idea of having to support two children for some time scared Tifa at first. As far as she was concerned, taking in Denzel and Marlene was a lot like extending her family. She felt like she just gained a new younger brother and sister. For the first time in a while, she felt like she was a part of a family and it made her feel content. Her, Marlene, Denzel, Barrett, Cloud and the rest of AVALANCHE all seemed to be a part of a large family now.

She and Cloud were there to watch Denzel and Marlene grow closer. 'Denzel is a lot like Cloud, he's very introverted and quiet. He'll keep everything to himself if you let him.' Tifa smiled, when she thought of the bond that the two had shared with one another. When she thought of Marlene, she couldn't help but see fragments of Aerith in her. The young girl was kind and outgoing, she always did her best to stay positive and make everyone around her feel better. 'Maybe that's why she's so easy to get along with.'

Tifa snapped out of her thoughts and gave Barrett a pat on the back. "Of course, it's what friends do. She was so excited when I told her you were coming back home that she started to move her things out of her and Denzel's room upstairs and into the guest room, waiting for you to come back."

Reno interrupted, "Damn, Tifa. Are you running a hotel?", slamming back another drink.

"I don't know, sometimes it really feels like it." Tifa got back to cleaning the dishes, arranging things to be in order behind the bar's counter.

The hum of an engine could be heard just outside of the bar. Cloud propped open the door and walked inside, shaking off the drops of rain that began to flatten his spiky hair. "Hey guys, what's up?"

Tifa looked up from swiping the table clean. "Hey Cloud. I'm just cleaning up around here. I'm thinking about closing the place early. We haven't had a customer in a while and the only one I'm serving right now is this one", she said, passing a glare at Reno.

Reno patted down the back of his red hair. "You're so kind..." Tifa shot him a playful, yet intense look before returning back behind the counter.

Barrett welcomed Cloud to take a seat next to him. "Yo, Spike! Where ya been?"

"I was just out finishing up the last of the day's deliveries. They were scattered throughout the city. It took some time getting from place to place. It was crazy out there, the weather didn't help, either", Cloud replied. "I have to run upstairs real quick and finish off some of these paperwork deliveries that I left on my desk. Do you guys need anything down here?"

Tifa cheerfully replied, "Nope. I can handle things down here. Thanks!" She finished, as Cloud made his way up the stairs to the second floor of the building.

"How's he been doing?" Barrett's voice sounded low and serious. Tifa remarked on the burly man's question. It wasn't often that Barrett showed a serious, emotional concern for people, especially Cloud, but when he had, it brought out a different side to the man that few rarely saw.

Tifa let out a sigh, "He's actually been doing a lot better. Ever since he was cured of Geostigma, he seems happier." Tifa continued to ponder the change that she had seen in Cloud. After they had defeated Sephiroth two and a half years, Cloud and Barrett had helped her establish this new bar in Edge and the three had lived there, along with Marlene. When Cloud was inflicted with Geostigma, it had caused a strain with everybody that he knew. He had left the Seventh Heaven and moved into Aerith's church in the slums, without saying a word to anybody.

'It felt awful.' Cloud had become overcome with guilt over the death of both Aerith and Zack, he felt that he was a failure to his friends and family and Geostigma had caused him to lose his desire to live. 'It was scary, too.' She had wanted Cloud to move on and forget about the mistakes of his past, but not if it meant causing him more pain. When Cloud had been healed of the disease, she saw the change in him, as did everyone in AVALANCHE. He was happier, they even saw him smile, something that no one had ever seen him do in public.

Tifa continued, "He deserves it, too. After everything that has happened in the last couple of years, I think it's time to cut the guy some slack." Barrett nodded. Tifa continued, "I just know how much he's been hurt, though."

Barrett agreed, "We all have. Biggs, Wedge and Jesse. And Dyne, too. Your father." He continued, "...Aerith. If we ever need a reason why we should keep fightin' on, I think they're all reason enough!'

Tifa smiled and nodded.

* * *

When he had reached the top of the stairs, Cloud passed by Marlene and Barrett's room, followed by Tifa's, then Denzel's. As he passed by Denzel's room, Cloud gave a small wave and the smallest of smiles to Denzel and Marlene who were inside. Down at the end of the hallway, he opened the door to his room and approached his office desk in the corner of the room. His room was rather barren. In the opposite corner was his bed. There was a wool rug in the center of the room, covering the cold hard-wood floors. On the top of his desk, there were a series of photos of his friends in AVALANCHE, along with ones of Tifa, Marlene and Denzel.

Once at his desk, he opened the drawer and placed his delivery service files on the desk, opening the packets and taking pieces of the paperwork out. From inside of the desk, Cloud came across a yellow and white carnation, one of many that Cloud had collected throughout the past couple months. Cloud lifted the flower, examining the petals of the carnation closer.

_'Would you like to buy a flower? It's only one gil._'

Cloud quickly snapped out of his thoughts, bringing him back to the reality of his barren room. Cloud noticed the rays of sunlight shining through the opened blinds of the window, reflecting off against the grey walls of the room. 'Hmm. The rain must have passed.'

For a minute, Cloud stared between the open files of paperwork and the flower, having somewhat of a complex. Cloud closed the folder.

'It can wait.'

* * *

Back downstairs, Tifa was just about done closing up the bar, trying to rush Reno out for the night.

"Oh, come on! I don't want to go back to those numbskulls!" Reno tried to persuade. "Ever since Shinra Inc. fell flat on its' ass," Reno coughed noticeably, "thanks to you guys...they have had me doing one stupid mission after another! And to think, the Turks used to be an elite group..."

Cloud descended down the stairs, entering in upon the scene. 'Guys, I'm gonna go out for a ride. Just call if you need anything."

"Will do.", Tifa replied, still too occupied with trying to get Reno off of the barstool and out of the bar. Cloud opened the door and exited. "Reno, come on, I think you have had enough to drink." Reno's cell phone suddenly began to ring. "Hang on a sec, babe", Reno stated holding his finger up to Tifa, deciding to ignore the look on her face.

"Yo, whatsup?" While Reno continued his conversation, Tifa continued to sort out any mess that caught her attention around the bar. "Oh geez, this one sounds like fun. I'll see you in a few." Reno lifted himself off of the bar, heading towards the door, Tifa trailing closely behind him, in case he decided to change his mind. "That was Rude. Turns out Rufus Shinra gave us our next mission. Gotta meet Rude in fifteen. It's been fun"

"Of course it has", Tifa replied, somewhat blandly, shutting the door behind him. 'Ok, now that that's taken care of...'

There was a moment of silence between Tifa and Barrett, something that had seemed uncommon after the last several hours of Reno's presence. Barrett was the first to speak. "So, where do you think Spike's run off to this time?"

Tifa smiled, knowingly. "Where do you think?"

* * *

Aboard his motorcycle, Cloud shot down the highway, passing by fields and mountainous ranges. The dismal sky from the midafternoon gave way to a beautiful orange sunset that seemed to envelop the sky. Cloud began to slow down when he approached his destination.

Cloud parked his vehicle off to the side of the road and mounted the bike. Cloud slowly stepped into the flower field, taking in the fresh scent of the flowers, enjoying the peaceful, tranquil serenity of the place.

"There you are", a voice said from behind Cloud.

Cloud turned around to greet the voice.

* * *

Alright guys, thanks for sticking around for the first chapter! I hope it was alright, it's my first story! I know that it is starting out kind of slow, but it sort of has to be because I have alot of ideas for this story and it is going to get pretty hectic! So hopefully, you guys enjoyed. Please R&R.


	2. The Return

**Chapter Two - The Return**

"Hmph, I never thought I'd see the day. And what business do we have going inside there?" Reno amusedly asked, walking swiftly side by side Rude, as the two made their way down the now quieter streets of Edge. The sun had started to set and had cast a bright orange glow across the city.

Rude led Reno down one of the alleyways. "Rufus has heard reports of suspicious activity coming from inside and he wants us to look into it," Rude stated, adjusting the knot in his tie and straightening out his dark glasses that hid his eyes.

"Suspicious activity, huh?" Reno let out a sigh, followed by a slight hiccup. Reno nearly tripped over the curb of the sidewalk, as Rude lent him a hand to help regain his balance. 'Damn, I think I had too much to drink.' If he had known that he was going to be going on an important mission, Reno never would have stopped by Tifa's bar at all today. "And he wants us to look into it? This sounds more like Strife's kind of job. What happened to the good, old days of the usual kidnapping and physical assault? But why send us back there when that place is in shambles as it is? He should know."

The two continued down the streets, towards a helicopter that was parked just off of the central plaza of the city. Rude simply replied, "Orders are still orders. Let's get on our way." The two continued into the central plaza. From what they could see, most of the citizens had left for home, with only a few wanderers roaming about the streets, heading home from work. Slowly, one by one, the flickering street lights slowly lit, illuminating the city streets, while still masking the alleyways in-between buildings in a deep darkness.

Rude examined the sun setting behind the set of buildings in the far corner of the central plaza. "It's starting to get dark, we should get there before dusk."

Reno quickly countered, "Ughhh...it's like Rufus knows how much of a pain in the ass this is. How many times have we gone on these stupid missions and every time, they all end the same w-way: us getting punched out. He knows that we're barely ever c-cut out for this kind of stuff," he slurred, letting out an inaudible curse.

"By the looks of your drunken stumbling, does it come across as such a surprise?" a voice shouted from behind them.

The two Turks turned around to face the voice. "Elena. Where have you been?"

Elena caught up with the two men. "Rufus had given Tseng and I a task in the city. When we first got word of the suspicious activity, Rufus had sent the two of us to look into it. We tried to track down the source, but whatever it was got away."

Rude questioned, 'Where's Tseng now?"

"He's waiting for us. When he got there, he considered that it might be best if he phoned in the President for some re-enforcement," Elena replied, leading the two men towards the helicopter door, opening the metal latch and stepping into the vehicle.

Reno sighed, exasperated, "Ohhh, so THAT'S what's so important...figures." The red-headed man followed closely behind Elena into the helicopter. Rude entered in through the opposite door, sitting in the pilot's seat. He had shut the latch and powered the engine. The hum of the engine could be heard, as the helicopter was preparing for takeoff.

"We don't know what we might be up against. Rufus figured that it would be best to have as many hands on deck as possible." The helicopter took off into the sky, soaring over the city of Edge.

"Well, can't say I miss the place too much," Reno replied. The helicopter proceeded towards the ruins of the Shinra Headquarters.

* * *

Cloud stared into the flower field, when a voice from behind him had caught his attention.

"There you are," the voice said. The sudden appearance of the voice did not necessarily startle Cloud. He had come to this field several times before and was quite accustomed to hearing the sweet, gentle assurance of the voice. Rather, it was the person that the voice belonged to that had caused the soldier's heart rate to increase. For a moment, Cloud hesitated, before turning around to spot the flower girl, who was standing amidst the field of flowers, just a bit farther into the field. Upon spotting his blue eyes, the Cetra girl let out the smallest of smiles. While Cloud's face had remained rather blank, Aerith had let out a small smirk, when she had seen the corners of the man's mouth slightly twitch upwards.

Cloud walked a bit farther into the flower field, seeming to exit out of the reality of the world, approaching the flower girl, "I...wanted to...see you." Cloud lowered his eyes, letting a small blush appear across his cheeks. He scratched the back of his head, trying to avert his gaze with the Cetra.

Aerith took another step closer to Cloud and reached out to touch his arm, squeezing gently. "I wanted to see you, too." Cloud raised his head to see Aerith looking at him in the eyes, with a wide smile on her face. She covered her mouth, as a small laugh escaped.

Cloud opened his mouth to say something, but was surprised when the words didn't come. Cloud lowered his head yet again. 'Why does this always happen? Why do I always forget how to talk when I come here?'

Aerith simply patted Cloud on the soldier and walked past the man, understanding Cloud's shy state, not wanting him to feel obligated to have to respond. To be fair, Aerith understood who Cloud was. She knew that Cloud was a very introverted person. He didn't speak much what he was thinking or really all that much about himself to begin with, but after the time she spent with him during their initial adventure, and even now during his visits to this field, she had seen him begin to open himself up more, a change that she considered welcoming.

When Cloud had turned around, he saw Aerith kneeling gently in the flower field, examining the beautiful yellow flower petals, touching the softness of the petal with the tip of her fingers. The flower girl adjusted her position and found a soft patch of grass to sit in, whilst enjoying the scenery. A slight wind blew through the glade of flowers, causing the flowers to sway in rhythm with the gentle breeze. Aerith gently tucked a few of her chestnut brown bangs behind her ear, admiring the setting sunset in the distance.

Cloud stepped closer to the woman. "The flowers are...pretty." Cloud paused for a moment and felt like kicking himself. 'Smooth one, Cloud.'

Aerith looked at Cloud and nodded, "I love them. They remind me of the ones that I used to have in my church back in the slums. They're so beautiful. They have always been my favorite kind." Aerith remarked, admiring the flowers.

Cloud simply nodded his head, before sitting in a spot right next to Aerith. "I always take some of these back with me to my office whenever I come to visit."

Aerith leaned forward, grasping her hands tenderly behind her back. "I've noticed", she let out a small laugh, "And why is that?" she questioned, raising an eyebrow, with the smallest of grins on her face.

"Because even when I can't see you, I always like having a reminder nearby" , replied Cloud.

Aerith looked at Cloud, a look of sincerity and happiness growing across her face. There was a moment of silence between the two. "Then feel free to take as many as you would like."

Cloud gave another small nod.

"You're just lucky I'm not charging you this time!" Aerith playfully poked the man in the chest, as Cloud let out a small chuckle.

Aerith loved to see him smile and laugh, something that she had rarely seen when she had been alive, traveling alongside Cloud. She looked back out on the setting sun. 'It's strange. I would love to see him like this, all the time. Happy, knowing that he is ok.' Aerith shot a look at Cloud out of the corners of her eyes. 'But it also hurts.' She knew that when Cloud had first come here and was able to physically talk to her, he was in awe. She had moved on, left the planet and returned to the Lifestream and yet, she was still there, seemingly as alive as the day they had first met.

'And that's why it hurts.' These trips, these moments that they had shared together, it reminded the two of them of the moments they had shared together when she was alive. These moments were all they had together. She knew that she had belonged to a different part of the planet now and these small moments that they would share, while they would not last forever, she had felt that they were the most important. 'That's why I have to make the most of them'.

Aerith knew that deep down inside of Cloud's heart, there would always be a part of him that would feel the pain and sadness of knowing that he was not able to rescue her from being killed. She had told Cloud that knowing that he had come for her in the first place was all that mattered. That was enough for Aerith, knowing that Cloud was there for her, even in her last moments. She knew that Cloud would carry on the sadness of her death and she doubted that seeing her here had made him cope with the sadness.

Even now, she could see how Cloud's presence around her had made him feel happier, knowing that he was able to physically see and communicate with her. It uplifted her heart, but she knew that his heart was also weighed down. When he would let out a small laugh or see the tiniest of smiles, she could still see the sadness in his eyes. It was a look that was solemn, almost unnoticeable if you had not stared at the soldier directly. It was like a facade that Cloud had put on, almost as if to tell Aerith, 'I'm ok, everything's ok', when she knew that it wasn't.

The two continued to sit in silence, just admiring the scenery.

Aerith didn't want Cloud to be sad, which is why she did everything in her power to make Cloud forget about the sadness during his short trips here. To either of them, this wasn't a place that was meant for sadness or the woes of facing the harsh cruelties of life, this was a place of supreme happiness. A place where the two of them, two people, worlds apart, could still meet.

Cloud was the first to break the silence, "Aerith?" The Cetra turned her head at the man, with an inquisitive look on her face, waiting for him to continue. "I always wondered...why is it that I can see you here...and talk to you." He continued, "I always thought that returning to the planet was like saying goodbye."

Aerith continued, "Well, I did return to the planet. I'm a part of the Lifestream now."

Cloud countered, "Right. But then this place, you, how can this all happen?"

Aerith simply smiled, "Because this is a Promised Land."

"The Promised Land..." Cloud said, understandingly.

"A...Promised Land," Aerith stated, "It's different for everybody. People can wander the world for their entire life, searching for the thing that makes them the most happy. Some people find it instantly, when others might take years to discover what makes them truly happy."

Aerith closed her eyes, as if in deep thought. "Even after they have returned to the planet, the spirits of the people will continue to hold onto that happiness, it is one of the most important possessions that we have left. Happiness...and our memories."

Aerith looked over at Cloud. "That's what my mother had told me before she died, to hold onto what's most important. Happiness and my memories." As Aerith looked about the flower field, admiring the simplistic beauty of the place, Cloud gently stared at the Cetra's expression. "That's why I can come here."

Cloud smiled and gave a small nod.

* * *

Night had settled throughout Edge and the city streets were quiet, the only sounds coming from the occasional passing vehicle or the neighborhood's local gang of pranksters.

Tifa had closed the bar hours earlier and was taking the night off from work. Tifa was in Barrett's room, as she watched the man gently tuck his young daughter into bed. Tifa admired the scene, slightly gushing at Barrett's gentle nature. She knew that if she was to ever speak of this to anyone, Barrett would most likely use her body as target practice. Tifa placed her hand over mouth to hide the smile that had been forming.

"Goodnight, Tifa," Marlene said, sleepily.

Tifa waved at the young girl, "Goodnight, sweetie."

Tifa walked out of the room and shut the door behind her. She made her way down the hall, heading towards her room, when she had heard the phone ring from down stairs. Tifa quietly made her way down the wooden steps and entered back into the bar. After the fourth ring, Tifa had picked up the phone and answered.

"Hello?"

"_Hey, girl! How the %$&# you doin'_!"

Tifa laughed, "Cid! Things are great! How are you doing? What's it been? Almost four months since I've seen you?"

Cid replied, "_Yeah, yeah. Things ain't too shabby over in Rocket Town. Shera's about to pop the little tike out_."

Tifa smiled, unknowingly curling the phone cord around her finger, "That's great! Time has really flown by, hasn't it? I am so excited for you guys."

"_Yeah! Me too. The baby'll be comin' pretty soon! Cept' this little %#$& might kill me before I get the chance of being a daddy_!"

"Hey! I resent that!", Tifa heard Yuffie shout over the phone.

Tifa pondered. A couple months ago, Cid and Shera had offered Yuffie to move in with them for the time being. After the team had defeated Sephiroth years prior, Yuffie had returned to her hometown of Wutai, where she had tried to make amends with her father.

'That didn't go too well', Tifa thought.

For some time, the two had been able to put up with each other, but the two ended growing weary of one another yet again and Yuffie had left Wutai on her own. When Yuffie was without a place, Tifa had been kind enough to offer Yuffie a place to stay at the bar. The young ninja accepted, but her stay wasn't too long. She had stolen money from the register, pilfered items from the customers, caused a riot almost every day and then nearly burned down the place when she tried to make a burger. 'Thank god Cloud found the extinguisher.'

Tifa had honestly felt bad for the teenage girl. She saw Yuffie as a close, good friend, but not one that she could neccessarily rely on in a time of need. When Yuffie had been bounced around from place to place, Tifa had wanted her to settle down somewhere, which is why she had offered a room to her in the first place. Though, after her antics had nearly jeopardized Tifa's business, the bartender knew that she had to take action.

Since that time, Yuffie had again moved her home to Rocket Town, where she now lived with Cid and Shera. Quite frankly, neither Cid nor Yuffie really wanted to live with one another, as the two could barely put up with one another, but Shera had convinced her husband to take in the young girl. Shera had convinced Cid that they could use the extra help around the house, due to her pregnancy. When Cid had agreed, he did not know what he was getting himself into.

"_Eh! Get outta here_!" Cid shouted into the phone, as Tifa grimaced at the loud altercation on the other end of the line. "_Anyways, I'm just calling to tell ya that we'll be flying into the city tomorrow for a visit. We should be there by the early afternoon_."

"Ok, sounds great. I'll have the place ready for you guys. We'll see you then." Tifa hung up the phone and proceeded back up the stairs.

'I better have that extinguisher prepared for Yuffie tomorrow...'

* * *

The helicopter descended down towards the top of the plate that spanned the entire aerial perimeter of the ruined city of Midgar. After more than two years of abandonment due to Weapon's assault towards Midgar and the destruction that Meteor had almost caused, the place had fallen into disrepair, more than it already was to begin with.

When the helicopter had landed at the base of the former Shinra Headquarters, Reno unlatched the helicopter door and stepped down into the metal plaza, leading to the entrance doors of the large corporate building. Elena and Rude closely followed behind the man, spotting Tseng just up ahead, waiting just outside of the doors.

"Home, sweet home," Reno remarked, sarcastically. "The place has seen better days, that's for sure."

Upon examining the ruins of the Shinra Headquarters, one would almost consider the building unrecognizable. Large pieces of the building's infrastructure were jarring out of the building's main tower, following all throughout the building. Glass windows were smashed open. Fragments of the building's exterior were destroyed, crumbling off the exterior of the building, falling towards the base below. Above the main entrance of the building, the burnt out sign read, 'Shinra Headquarters'. Pieces of the lettering had fallen out, while other parts had rusted over, falling into a state of dismal gloom.

The trio carefully made their way through the wreckage and debris that cluttered the base of the headquarters. The three approached Tseng, who was checking his wrist watch, tapping his foot impatiently.

"There you three are. What took you so long?" Tseng questioned.

Elena chimed in, "Sorry sir. It took a while to track these two down."

Reno rolled his eyes and let out a sigh. "Let's just get this over with, shall we? Rufus sent us here to get our hands dirty, so we might as well give the boss what he wants..."

"We're here to investigate the strange activity that was traced back to the headquarters..." Rude adjusted his glasses.

Elena cut him off, "Right, so let's at least get inside of the building before we cause another scene. We'd better make sure that we're ready for this."

The Turks had stepped up to the main doors of the former headquarters and pushed them open. Once inside, the group walked into the lobby. The lights had been burnt out and destroyed, leaving the team to make their way around the debris that cluttered the lobby in total darkness. There was an eerie silence, a sort of calm that seemed to carry through the lobby. The group snuck around the lobby, careful not to make any rash movements, as not to disturb anything that could be waiting inside of the building.

They made their way up the stairs that led to the main access elevator of the entire building. "Well, this place has seen better days", Reno said in a hushed whisper. "Surely, Rufus doesn't expect us to check EVERY floor of the damn place, does he?"

"We were given direct orders from Rufus. We can only expect that he would want them done as accurately as possible", said Tseng.

"Then, let's split up then. Doubling up will get us through this place faster."

Elena replied, "Right. Tseng and I will take the lower half of the building. You and Rude can start your way at the top and work your way down to us."

Reno headed towards the elevator, pushing the button, relishing in the notion that it was still operational after all this time. "Roger. If you run into trouble, call us."

Elena gave Reno a nod, before she and Tseng made their way towards the main access staircase that made it's way up the floors of the building of the corporate tower. When the elevator had arrived, the doors pushed open and Reno and Rude stepped into the shaft. "You really going to trust this thing?" Rude replied, raising an eyebrow at Reno's actions.

"Eh, a little excitement is always good to liven things up," Reno replied, taking out the floor access card that he had kept from years ago, giving them access to all of the floors of the building. It was common knowledge that any of the upper floors of the Shinra Headquarters were essentially impassable to any commoner. This is when Reno appreciated his occupation as a Turk, they had privileges that only a few came across. Reno inserted the access card and pushed the button for the seventieth floor.

"Going up."

* * *

Elena and Tseng made their way up the initial floors of the building, making a stop at each floor to do a quick routine search.

While arriving at the eleventh floor, Elena started to pant. "I think we have our work cut out for us."

"Tired already? Hmph," Tseng replied. "We still have a long way to go."

"Do we even know what we're searching for?" Elena inquired, entering into the doorway that led to the eleventh floor. "We didn't exactly get a good look when we were trying to track this down in the city."

"Not sure. Rufus had cause for concern when he first caught word of the activity. That was reason enough to start the investigation, I suppose," Tseng replied.

"Concern? Why was he concerned?" She stated, question Tseng, as the two continued to have a look around the eleventh floor.

"He had found a body. It was...torn up."

* * *

Upon reaching the top floor of the building, Reno and Rude stepped out into the former office of the President. A large panel of glass windows looked out onto a balcony, overlooking the ruins of Midgar.

"Not exactly a pretty sight, it is?" Reno observed.

"Hmph."

"Let's get a move on. There isn't anything happening up here."

Reno and Rude made their way down the staircase leading from the President's office to the sixty-ninth floor. They descended down the staircase and entered into the office areas that acted as a sort of lobby to the president's former office space. Glass and debris cluttered the ground throughout. The entire building was left to rot in shambles. While stepping further into the office space, Reno and Rude noticed a particularly rancid smell.

"Phew! What the hell is that?" Reno questioned.

"I think we're about to find out." Rude countered.

The two men made their way around the office space, each checking the indivdual office rooms as they made their way around the floor. Reno reached for one of the office doors, his hand nervously trembling as he did so. When he grasped the knob, he turned and heard a slight 'click' sound, before slowly pushing the door open. He stepped inside, only to discover that the only thing that took up space in the room was a cluttered desk and a bookshelf.

'Is that really all that's in here?' Reno let out a sigh, before he heard a noise come from behind him. He heard the movement, something coming closer, approaching the door, about to enter the room. Reno could feel his bottom lip quivering, as he tried to mask his fear and keep his composure. 'Kill...or be killed.'

Reno lunged for the open doorway and punched Rude in the face.

Rude was taken aback, clutching his now sore nose. "What the hell, man?!"

Reno grimaced, showing off an expression that was a mixture of shock, relief and amusement. "Sorry, man. I thought you were someone else..." Reno let out a small laugh, as all Rude did was adjust his now crooked glasses.

"I think we've covered this floor well enough. Let's go."

The two made their way to the staircase that made their way down to the next lower floor of the building, as the stench that they had sense earlier only grew stronger. They slowly, quietly crept down the staircase and entered into the main laboratories of the headquarters. A single, dismal, blue flickering bulb was the only source of light that illuminated the maze of passages. The stench was strong to the point where it felt like a cloud hovering over them.

The two men continued down the corridor, leading into the specimen containment cells and control room of the tower. Reno and Rude heard something just up ahead, something that could only be described as a hiss or a growl, of sorts. As the approached the sound further, they noticed that their shoes had stuck to the cold, metal ground of the laboratory floor. A sort of slime was on the underside of their shoe, repelling their fluid movements.

"What the hell is this?", Reno asked, confused.

"Our target."

Ahead of Reno and Rude, located just by one of the specimen containment cells, stood none other than the monstrous being of Jenova, the extra-terrestrial being that had instilled harm and pain throughout the planet for the two thousand years. Her dark bluish skin was contrasted against the red veins that seemed to trickle down from her arms and thighs. Her arms and legs were replaced by blood red limbs, pliable appendages that seemed warped and disfigured into tentacles.

Upon sensing the two men's presence, Jenova let out another hiss, instilling a sense of fear into both Reno and Rude. The hiss was followed by a slight feminine giggle, a giggle that should have been considered childish and playful by all means, but due to the predatory nature of her being, caused the hairs on the back of Reno and Rude's necks to stand vertical.

"Again." Reno stated. 'I said this was a job for Strife.'

Reno charged towards Jenova, a closed fist leading towards the being's face. Jenova simply cast out one of her appendages, whipping Reno into one of the metal walls, encasing the laboratory.

Reno lifted his head, as if the weight of the world had suddenly fallen on top of him.

'Damn, tomorrow's hangover's gonna be a bitch.'


	3. Light in the Dark City

**Chapter 3 - Light in the Dark City**

Reno tried to lift his body from the cold metal floor. The hit that Jenova had just given to him seemed to knock the wind out of him. Jenova had let out another deadly growl, almost like a fierce hiss, as her hit had connected with Reno. Reno slowly crept to his feet, wincing in pain from the spasms that occurred from the movements of his sore muscled. Reno brought his hand to his lips, wiping away the blood that he could now taste coming out of the corners of his mouth.

'Damn, this thing doesn't know when to quit, does she?' Reno thought to himself.

When Rude had seen his accomplice charge towards the creature, only to end up blasted into the wall, he knew much better than to try to make any rash, stupid decisions. Still, Rude prepared himself in a stance, raising his fists to his chest, his only form of defense in case Jenova was to initiate an attack. Jenova simply let out an eerie laugh, almost like a childish giggle upon observing the scene.

When Reno had successfully gotten back onto his feet, he carefully limped his way over to where Rude was standing. "How many times do you have to get your ass kicked before deciding not to come back?" Reno snarled.

Jenova menacingly approached the two men, her slimy tentacle-like limbs slithering across the floor as she had done so. When Reno had stared into the eyes of Jenova, he sensed a coldness. He looked into the creature's eyes and saw nothing of love, compassion or humanity. The deepness of her pupils were black and empty, nothing but the cold darkness showing within. "You idiots just do not understand," Jenova hissed, "When I traveled to this disgusting planet over two thousand years ago, I made it my goal to obtain one thing. Power"

Rude decided to make a quick dash towards the creature, which he had ultimately regretted mere moments later, when he had found himself being lifted and thrusted back into one of the wooden crates that had surrounded the perimeter of the room.

"In my search for power, I destroyed all of the Cetra, inflicted too many with my cells, had turned the common man into monsters, created the Geostigma disease and had caused so much suffering and death." Jenova continued, "With my power, I was going to destroy this entire planet and move to a new, better realm."

Reno interrupted, "Until Cloud and the others destroyed you."

Jenova laughed, darkly, almost as if Reno's words were complete mockery. "Destroyed? What a foolish notion! Do you really think it is that easy to be rid of me? When I descended down into this planet many years ago, I arrived with such power that it created the great Northern Crater." Jenova continued to approach the man, extending out one her limbs as she had done so. "When I had created that crater, my impact had flooded the place with my very own cells." Jenova hissed, "The Northern Crater is festering with remnants of me that will last forever. It takes some time for my remnants to come together to create a new form, but I will ALWAYS be a part of this planet. You, nor any other fool will ever be able to defeat me entirely. With my power, there is nothing I will not be able to do."

Jenova's limb wrapped around Reno's neck, as it started clamping down onto the man's throat, squeezing. Reno felt his air running out, his eyes bulging wide, as he tried to punch and kick his way out of the tight grasp. "What...the hell...is it that...you want!?"

Jenova marveled simply, "What I've wanted all along. To destroy this world and all of you human beings with it, just as Sephiroth had wanted. To bring about more pain and misery and to create a wound that will cause the very destruction of this pitiful planet."

Rude emerged from behind the crate and carefully tried to make his way over to Jenova, but found that almost every one of his actions would have handed with him face-down on the floor. Reno quickly felt his breath become hitched. "That will never happen, though. You still have Cloud and all of the others to deal with."

Jenova only tightened her grip. "Which reminds me, after I'm finished with you, I'll just have to seek my revenge on him yet and destroy him, as well as all of his friends. I already killed that Cetra girl, what more damage can I do to these pitiful souls?" Jenova laughed, menacingly.

"If you're going to kill me, then show some honor and get on with it, "Reno struggled to say.

"Honor? For the humans that had kept me a prisoner in this place for years? You should have killed me when you had the chance," Jenova mocked.

A shot was heard, as a splatter of dark blood protruded from the limb surrounded Reno's neck. Jenova writhed, before loosening her hold on Reno, offering the man an ample chance to escape. When he looked over to his left, just behind Rude, he saw Elena and Tseng standing there, as Tseng held a pointed gun towards the creature. As Reno had escaped from Jenova's hold, he brought up his iron rod and gave Jenova a swift hit directly across the jaw-line, earning a vocalization of pain from the creature. Rude seized the opportunity to ambush Jenova, aiming one of his fists directly at Jenova's chest, following his opposing fist directly towards the creature's head.

Jenova reeled back from the combo hit that she had just received from Rude. 'Enough games'. Just as Reno and Rude had planned to initiate an attack together, one of Jenova's limbs protruded forward, sending the two men flying backwards, colliding with Tseng and Elena, wiping all four of the Turks to the floor. Jenova eerily approached the four, almost eerily gliding along the cold floor of the laboratory. "This is my last warning. I will destroy this world and all of you pitiful humans, if it is the last thing I do."

With a shriek, Jenova blasted forward, as the four Turks felt a great force almost physically pass through them, taking the wind out of them and wiping them completely of their energy. Jenova blasted down the hallway in an instant, before disappearing from the laboratory. There was a moment of complete silence, as the four Turks slowly recuperated, getting back onto their feet, clutching their aching bodies.

"Thanks for coming to the rescue," Reno stated to Elena and Tseng.

Elena continued, "We heard the ruckus all the way from downstairs, we figured you two had ran into the target, but I guess none of us expected it to be...that."

"Yeah, that crazy bitch is still out to take down this entire place."

"And she got away," Rude added in.

"How serious do you think the threat is?" added in Tseng, who had been scratching the back of his head, interpreting the validity of Jenova's words.

Reno nearly shouted, "I would have to say pretty damn serious! That thing has wanted to destroy the world for literally thousands of years now and when she wasn't successful at doing that, she decides to destroy people's lives instead." Reno sighed, exasperated. "First, there was all that shit with the Cetra, then Hojo went off the deep end, as did Sephiroth. She hurt Cloud, Aerith, us, countless other people, like...do we even have to continue? It's damn serious."

Elena chimed in, "What do you think Rufus is going to say? Do you think he'll take it out on us that Jenova got away?" she asked, almost worriedly.

Tseng continued, "No. I don't think so. Rufus knew that what we were up against was big, but not something as powerful as Jenova. If anything, I think he deserves to have an accurate report of the mission. Once he finds out that Jenova's back..."

"It won't be good. For anyone." Reno concluded, 'Especially Cloud.'

* * *

On board Fenrir, Cloud sped down the nighttime streets of Edge, making his way back towards the Seventh Heaven, ready to head in for the night. While one of his hands maneuvered the steady motion of the motorcycle, his other hand remained on the motorcycle's handle, grasping a small bouquet of flowers that he had taken from the flower field.

Cloud made his way up towards the Seventh Heaven and parked his motorcycle in the small alleyway on the side of the building. Cloud rounded the corner and pushed open the door to the closed bar. Upon entering the bar, he quietly crept into the place, his slow steps making small noises as he carefully walked across the wooden floor of the place.

'Hm. Everyone must already be asleep.'

Cloud made his way up the staircase, letting out a sharp grimace with every noise that was produced from his steps. He knew that Tifa was a light sleeper and if he was to wake her up from a good night's sleep, she would have it out for him. Barrett, on the other hand, could sleep through an earthquake and not have a problem with it. When he reached the top of the hallway, he saw that Tifa and Denzel's bedroom doors were closed. He passed Barrett and Marlene's room and found Barrett still wide awake, while Marlene was huddled underneath the blankets on her bed, already fast asleep.

Barrett left the room and followed Cloud into his own room. "Yo Spike, you good?"

Cloud gave Barrett a reassuring nod. "Yeah." Cloud continued, "How was everything around here tonight?"

"Not too much going on, really. Just the usual. Tifa and Denzel went to bad not too long ago." Barrett watched as Cloud placed the new bouquet of flowers on his desk.

"You takin' more trips out there, huh?" Barrett asked.

Cloud continued, "Yeah. It's good to get to a place where you don't really have to care or worry about anything. It's actually pretty nice."

Barrett nodded his head in agreement, "Yeah. I know." Barrett understood and sympathized with Cloud. To Barrett, his daughter was his happiness. While she was not his own, he had watched her ever since she was only a baby and adopted her as his own daughter. While she was not his biological daughter by blood, Barrett still felt as though Marlene would always be his little girl.

Barrett felt sympathy and understood Cloud. Barrett understood how Cloud had felt that he had left people down and was not able to protect a person that was closest to him. He knew the feeling of convincing himself that he was a failure at one point in his life and that, if he knew what he had known now; he would have done entirely different actions.

To be fair, when Cloud and Barrett started working in AVALANCHE together years ago, the two were never really close, nor did they happen to get along often. Deep beneath Barrett's burly stature, there was actually a man who cared about the planet, its' people and the importance of family and friendships. Barrett opposed Cloud's stance on life, often criticizing the soldier on how he could be so cold and unaffected by the problems of the world, only caring about the money he would make from his missions. Even Tifa got fed up with Cloud's careless attitude at points.

But as the two continued to learn more about each other over the next few years, they had learned to respect one another. Two different people, once very opposing towards their own views on the world, brought closer because of the pain and loss that they had both experienced. They had developed an understanding for one another. While Barrett may criticize Cloud at any chance that he got, Cloud knew that there was still a lot of respect between them.

While Cloud and Barrett may never completely understand one another, understanding is what the two had in common.

Barrett continued, "Well, I'm glad to see you doin' okay, Spike. I wouldn't want ya to lose your shit again!" And in an instant, the Barrett that Cloud recognized was back again.

"Thanks, Barrett." Cloud replied, with a serious expression on his face, with the slightest chance of a smile.

Barrett gave Cloud a hard pat on the back, before leaving the room, closing the door behind him. Cloud sat at his desk for a moment, placing his phone on the desk, sorting through the various files and papers that were scattered before the man. He looked at the clock and saw that it was almost midnight. He had every intention of completing his delivery files earlier in the day, until he came across more important things to do with his time. He arranged all of the papers in a small pile on his desk, promising himself that he will catch up with all of his work by tomorrow.

Cloud lifted himself out of his chair and turned the room's light off. Cloud grabbed the rim of his shirt and lifted it above his head, removing the fabric, before he decided to climb into bed. He pulled the covers over himself, as his body sank into the comfortable feeling of the mattress. Cloud started to enjoy the feeling of sinking into sleep, until...

Cloud's phone started to go off on his desk.

'Son of a bitch.'

Cloud was barely able to lift his head up, blindly reaching for the vibrating phone in the darkness. Once he had obtained the item, Cloud lifted the phone to his ear.

"Yeah?" he stated, a bit more agitated than he had intended to sound.

"_Hey Cloud, it's Reno_." Cloud rolled his eyes as soon as the conversation had begun.

Cloud sat up in bed. "Reno, what the hell do you want this late?"

Reno continued, "_Cloud. Listen, we got problems. Big ones...like say, an alien creature that is hell-bent on destroying the planet...again_."

Cloud instinctively knew that Reno was talking about Jenova, but at this late hour of the night, he was not entirely sure if Reno was kidding or not. He could never really determine when Reno was being sarcastic or not, which was especially difficult when Reno was such a prankster. "Is this a joke? Because if it is, it's not funny."

"_Strife! I'm not lying! We all just got our asses whooped from that thing_!"

"Okay...so what do you want me to do now?"

"_Well, uhhh...the others are about to tell Rufus what happened, but I thought that we could use some re-enforcement. You did beat that thing like...ten times already, right?_"

Cloud sighed, "Where are you now?"

"_At the base of Shinra Headquarters, heading down towards Wallmarket_."

"Seriously?" The idea of driving out of Edge, back into Midgar and going to Wallmarket made Cloud want to hang up the phone and crash back into his bed, not wanting to care about any of this. But he knew that he couldn't exactly do that. Not if a threat this serious was to be true.

"Fine. I'll head out now. I'll be there in a few."

"_Good. I'll explain the rest when you get here. I'll be waiting in Wallmarket_."

Cloud hung up the phone and lifted himself off of the bed. 'So much for sleep.' He grabbed his vest and threw it on, quickly zipping up the zipper and gathering a few pieces of armor that were strewn about the closet. He lifted up his buster sword and took it with him, as well. Cloud prepared to inform Barrett and Tifa what he had just heard from Reno, but hesitated.

He felt conflicted. 'It's not as easy as it was before. We have a home to look after. The kids, Barrett's got Marlene. There's too much at stake.' Cloud stared at the new, blooming flowers on his desk, which seemed to add life to the room. 'I already lost you. There's too much to lose. I can't let that happen again.' Cloud decided that he did not want Tifa and Barrett to become involved with this fight again. They had the children, their bar, their lives to protect. Could he really lay down another burden on their shoulders when there is so much to lose against such a serious opponent? This was his fight to face and he was going to face it alone.

Cloud quietly crept out of his room, with his sword and armor in tow and proceeded down the staircase, leading into the bar. He left the bar and proceeded around the corner, towards Fenrir. Cloud attached his sword into the weapon rack of the motorcycle and got onto the seat, powering the engine and speeding off down the street, heading for the outskirts of Edge, towards the ruins of Midgar.

* * *

"So, Jenova was the being that killed that man in the city?" Rufus questioned.

"Yes, sir," Rude subtly replied.

"From what we understand, Jenova's returned to complete her work from years ago. She wants to destroy this planet and everyone on it, " Elena responded.

Rufus inquired, "I see. Had I known the threat would have been this serious, I would have called for more serious re-enforcements," he stated, examining the bruises that Rude had on his face.

"Due to Jenova's adept skills at recovery and the spread of Jenova cells from the northern crater, it's difficult to believe that a being like this will ever truly be gone," Tseng concurred.

Rufus amused, "Nonsense. The being's bluffing."

Rude replied, "You obviously are underestimating her powers, sir."

"We had a part of her trapped in this building for years. If she was as truly as powerful as she says she is, wouldn't she have done something about it?"

Elena replied, "Yeah, that's another point of contention there. She sort of now has a grudge against Shin-ra for doing that. A grudge against all of us, too, I guess."

Rufus replied, "Very well, then. We'll just have to do something to stop Jenova, starting with that northern crater."

Elena asked, excitedly, "So, does this mean we're with the good guys this time?!" Elena asked, excited over the idea that she won't have to fight as much or have to worry about the 'heroes' thwarting their plans, as they done frequently in the past.

Rufus obliged, "We are assisting them. Besides, if Jenova really was to release her reign of power on the earth, I would never be able to re-create Shinra Inc. I have my own reasons for taking down Jenova. If that means playing as the good guys for a little while, so be it."

Elena, Tseng and Rude all nodded in response.

Rufus continued, "So, where has Reno run off to this time?"

Rude replied, "He's left for Wallmarket."

Tseng continued for Rude, "Apparently, he tried tracking down Jenova and was led all the way down there. Can't say it must have been hard, the place is already like a graveyard. Dormant and abandoned. I would think spotting a feverish alien amidst all of that must be a pretty simple task."

Elena continued, "Yeah, and he's trying to get Cloud to fight, too. They'll definitely have that thing beat in no time if he's there."

"Right, but even if they did, it is almost inevitable that Jenova will only come back from the northern crater," Tseng replied.

Rufus pondered the situation. "Indeed. That is our next mission."

Elena, Tseng and Rude gave Rufus a puzzled, questioning look.

"This is when things get interesting."

* * *

Cloud sped his way down the outskirts of Midgar. He loved driving around the city streets at night. There was barely anyone on the road, especially at this hour, so it made travel very easy. Since Midgar had been left abandoned over the past couple of years, the place looked worse than it already did years ago. The gates on the outskirts of the city were always left opened, although the only beings that ever seemed to pass through were fiends prowling about.

It was common knowledge that no one ever wanted to live in the slums of Midgar because they wanted to. Every person that ever seemed to live in the place seemed to have their own particular story and struggle as to why they came to settle in Midgar, whether it was because of poverty or because they simply did not want to abandon their homes after Shin-Ra started construction throughout the sectors. Cloud had met Aerith when she lived in the slums. Unlike the many drunkards and rebels that prowled the streets, Aerith was like a ray of light that illuminated a dismal city. Everything about her stood out from the surroundings of Midgar, from her lovely pink dress, to the flowers that she had planted in the solitude of her church. Even the home that she had lived in with her stepmother Elmyra was beautifully ornate compared to the other dumps strewn about the city.

The city of Midgar had been extinguished of that light and was left abandoned. For the most part, the buildings had deteriorated, the streets were filled with debris and the sectors fell into a state of disrepair. After Midgar had been evacuated during Weapon's assault, it was just assumed that the people of Midgar started new lives for themselves elsewhere throughout the world.

Cloud still came to Midgar often, if it was only to visit Aerith's church. It was a place of quiet serenity, a place where he could escape the world, much like the flower fields where he and Aerith would meet off of the village of Kalm. It was the place where they had first met. It was the one place that seemed entirely unaffected by the deterioration of the rest of the city. Most of the city's buildings had toppled over, but yet this church, one that had most likely been much older than all of the other buildings, still remained standing.

Cloud drove his way through one of the sectors, passing by the occasional homeless man or drunk wino that had made their way into the depths of the abandoned city. He made his way through Green Park, an old playground that remained intact in the center of the sector.

'The place has seen better days.' The park was a simple set of swings and a small slide and yet, it was still cluttered with clusters of debris and metal beaming. Cloud couldn't quite confirm whether the destruction was from the deterioration of the city or the destruction of Sector Seven. Regardless, the place looked awful. Cloud remembered when he first came to the park with Aerith after spending the night at her house, right before the two of them adventured through Wallmarket to rescue Tifa from Don Corneo's mansion.

'It was strange. I had only known her for a day at the time and she was able to get me to open up about my life, even if parts of it weren't true.' It was something that only Aerith was really ever able to do. It was in this spot, in this park, where Cloud had felt like he had opened up to anyone for the first time in what felt like years. He wouldn't have admitted it at the time, but he actually really enjoyed it.

Cloud drove out of the park and rounded into the corner at the entrance of Wallmarket. He could spot Reno just up ahead, standing just outside of the Honey Bee Inn, the local cathouse where the lonely, deprived men of the city often gathered to be comforted with the pleasurable company of women.

'Hm. He would be.'

Surprisingly, Wallmarket had held up remarkable well compared to the other parts of the sectors. It was buried deep within the city in the sectors and while the place wasn't quite like what Cloud remembered, the place still managed to appear to be in better shape than most of the other parts of the area. Cloud parked Fenrir, unclipping his buster sword from the motorcycle's weapon rack as he had done so.

Reno approached the man, "Yo, what's up, man?"

Cloud wasted no time, "Where's Jenova?"

Reno shrugged his shoulders and signed, "Dunno man. I tracked her down to this place from the Shinra Headquarters, but I lost her once I got here. She's gotta still be in this place...somewhere."

"What happened with you?"

"That mission I was telling you about, it brought us Turks over to the Headquarters to track her down, but we weren't much of a match for her," Reno stated. "She's got a serious chip on her shoulder, though. She wants to take out this planet, Cloud. That's all she's ever wanted. And she's after one person in particular, you."

Cloud countered, with a stern expression on his face, "I knew she would be. She was the cause of all of this! The Geostigma, Sephiroth, Meteor...everything! We have to stop her. How is it that she keeps on coming back?"

"Yeah, apparently, she's pretty adept at recovering. At least that's what she told us. For God's sake, she lived without her head attached to her body."

Cloud stared with a blank expression on his face.

"Not to mention, she said that the northern crater was festering with her own cells. When one of her dies, she just appears as a new form of herself, I'm guessing. That's what she made it seem like anyways. She also made it seem like she wanted to annihilate the entire planet and everyone on it." Reno signed, "You would think a couple ass beatings would change her tune."

Cloud questioned, "So? That's our solution? To keep fighting her only to have her come back."

"It's been over two thousand years, man, she keeps coming back. Maybe it's not meant for us to take her out."

Cloud shook his head, "No. Not this time. We'll take her out this time. "

Reno continued, "And just how far are you willing to go, Strife?" he said, raising an eyebrow to the blonde-haired man.

"As far as it takes."

"Then let's get this show on the road and find ourselves an alien!"

Cloud and Reno continued down the empty streets of Wallmarket. It was particularly quiet around the place, a sight that neither Cloud nor Reno were used to seeing. Throughout their trips here, the market was always bustling with tons of people, shoppers, people coming to the local restaurants and shops. Now, the place was a ghost town, literally not a single soul in sight. The two made their way down the quiet streets of the marketplace.

"Not much to look at anymore, is it?" Reno replied, peeking into the local diner.

"Wasn't really all that much to look at in the first place."

As they made their way down the street, Cloud couldn't help but think of the memories that were tied to this place, the memories that he and Aerith had shared of when he had to disguise himself as a woman to sneak into Don Corneo's mansion. 'Easily the most embarrassing moment of my life. Between dressing as a woman or taking down a creature wanting to destroy the planet, I'll think I'll stick with fighting Jenova.' Cloud really did hate his previous trip here, but it was to save Tifa and Aerith did do a fairly decent job at persuading him. 'She never even gave me any flack for it, either.' He thought, with a smile on his face.

His thoughts were interrupted by Reno's yelling. "I found it!"

Cloud turned around to see Reno heading towards the old bar at the far side of the market. "Reno, really, this is not the best time." Cloud began to think that Reno was a serious alcoholic.

"Why the hell not?"

"We're here on an important mission. The life of the planet is at risk." Just hearing himself say this, Cloud barely felt like he recognized his own words. He used to roll his eyes every time Barrett used to say something like this. Now, he was the one saying it.

"Aw, come on, Strife! It won't do anything bad for us. It'll make us more aggressive when we find her!" Cloud tried to understand the man's train of thought, but was lost in the process. "Besides, I'm just trying to fight fire with a little -"

A huge blast sent the two of them back. The two hit the ground hard, as a fiery inferno appeared before them. Coming from within the smoke was none other than Jenova, who seemed to have a fiery orb encircling her hand, almost as if she were tampering with the burning meteor of flame at her fingertips. Cloud looked up to see the monstrous being approach. The two men slowly stumbled to their feet, backing up a few steps, keeping a safe distance from Jenova.

"You," Cloud mustered, shooting a death glare at Jenova.

"I've been waiting for this day, Cloud." Jenova stealthy approached the two men, her blood red limbs sliding along the floor. "I knew the day would come. The day of my return...where I would finally have the chance...to kill you and the entire world."

"Why are you doing this? Isn't the pain and suffering already happening in the world enough?"

Jenova let out a sickening laugh, "You foolish boy, it won't ever be enough. It is from that pain that I will destroy this world and move to the next, where the cycle will repeat. The worlds, and certainly not an insignificant failure of a soldier, will be able to defeat me."

"We'll just have to see about that." Cloud lunged at the creature, his buster sword in hand, slashing at the monster. Jenova easily evaded the attack, not only dodging Cloud's maneuvers, but thrusting out one of her limbs, causing the soldier to lose his balance. While Cloud was thrown to the floor, Reno took Jenova's pre-occupied state to charge the creature and give her a whack across the back with his rod.

Jenova allowed the man to deal out a combo of attacks, almost as if it amused her. 'Hm. You again.' She extended her arm, sending Reno flying back, further. At this point, Cloud had already recovered from the earlier mess up and charged at Jenova, sword in hand. He brought down the sword and swung, severing Jenova's extended hand. Dark blood shot out from the wound, as Jenova gripped the remains of her gory limb, letting out a cry of pain. Cloud felt an inward smile, as he saw the creature writhe in pain. The creature's severed limb still managed to squirm along the floor, before becoming motionless.

Cloud took the opportunity to raise the sword again, bring it back down for another combination of attacks. Before he had the chance, Jenova already evaded the attack and unleashed a a strong wind that caused Cloud's sword to be blown out of his hands. Jenova gripped Cloud's neck, applying pressure, squeezing the man out of his breath. Jenova looked Cloud in the eyes, "Let's see what my cells can do." Jenova raised another limb, making a swift motion, as if clutching something. Instantly, a searing pain shot inside of Cloud, a pain that was coming from within his body. It felt as if something was tearing inside of him, festering and eating its' way out. Jenova's hand began to shake violently, as the pain only intensified inside of Cloud, causing his eyes to close, as he let out a blood-curling yell.

Jenova let out a blast of wind that sent Cloud flying back. The young soldier clutched his chest, as if relieved to possibly be alive. Jenova countered, "I think we've endured enough of this. I have other plans to attend to." Not totally unexpected, but Jenova's missing limb was almost immediately replaced, Jenova smiling confidently, as if the pain never existed to begin with. Jenova let out a mad dash, heading out of Wallmarket.

Cloud quickly followed behind the creature, realizing that it was no use. He could not keep up with her speed. "Get back here! You coward! Come back and fight!" Cloud felt himself lose his voice, shouting at the top of his lungs.

Reno followed closely behind the soldier, "Damn it!"

Cloud responded, "It was a trap. She didn't want the fight. She just wanted to make her presence known to me. And I fell for it."

Reno gave a pat on the man's shoulder, "Don't be so hard on yourself, man. We'll get her."

Cloud turned around, facing Reno, "Yes, we will."

'So, you have a plan?"

Cloud gave a confirming nod, heading towards the entrance of Wallmarket.

"I call bullshit. You expect us to be able to run after her and get her?"

"No."

"Then what?"

* * *

'Why the hell does it have to be this?', Reno questioned, as he sat on the seat of Cloud's motorcycle, as Cloud sped out of Wallmarket.

Cloud shot a look at Reno from the mirror of the motorcycle, "Make sure you hold on tight, little guy."

Reno squinted his eyes, "I'm going to kill you if we make it alive out of this."

"At least we're doing this with style." Cloud smiled, he was always one to make a scene.

Reno couldn't necessarily oppose Cloud, either. Reno thought that riding this thing was fun as hell. Cloud sped the motorcycle down the streets of the sector, quickly trailing Jenova's tracks. Just further up ahead, they could make out the silhouette of Jenova. Cloud stepped on the gas and slowly began to close in on the creature. His grip on the handle of the motorcycle only tightened and the space between the two decreased.

At this moment, Jenova let out a loud snarl and sent out a fiery inferno out behind her. Cloud saw the fiery inferno coming straight ahead and steered the vehicle clear of the blast that exploded only a mere couple of feet behind them. "Damn man, watch it!" he barely heard Reno scream over the loudness of the blast. At this point, Cloud was too focused on catching up to Jenova. He continued to trail her tracks, as the creature let out another blast. Cloud's ability to evade the blast became increasingly more difficult. He wasn't entirely sure if it was because of his slowing movement of the motorcycle or because of the increasing rate of Jenova's attacks.

Jenova led the two towards the train tracks on the outskirts of the sector, the point where the highways and the train tracks intersected. The chase continued, as Cloud steered down the tracks, Reno continuously shouting at Cloud to watch where he was going. Cloud would have almost forgot that Reno was on the back seat of the vehicle if he had not been continuously shouting throughout most of the duration of the chase. Jenova headed into one of the dark tunnels of the train passages. Cloud quickly sped up behind the monster, determined to close even more of the space between them.

Upon entering into the closed tunnel unit, Cloud raced down the darkness of the passage, barely able to make out what was right in front of him. Reno could almost be heard saying a silent prayer. Then, suddenly a faint light could be seen just up ahead, several of them. As Cloud and Reno sped down the passage approaching the sources of light, they noticed that the light were actually fragments of fiery infernos. "Oh shit!" Cloud screamed. It was too late to slow down now. It was either get through this tunnel or die trying.

The motorcylce sped past each of the fiery orbs on the floor of the tunnel. As the two passed each orb, it let out a fiery explosion that continued to build and intensify. With each explosion, clusters of the tunnel collapsed and shook, as the tunnel filled with smoke. The heat was searing. The explosions shook and rattled the tunnel, but Cloud was persistent. Just up ahead, Cloud could see the exit of the tunnel. Cloud sped the engine, past the fiery infernos, just before they exploded, causing the entire tunnel complex to explode, collapsing to the ground below.

The two exited the tunnel and ended up on the track concourse bridge, Jenova standing right before them. The night sky was contrasted against the fiery embers that burned behind them. Reno almost felt like he had the opportunity to get off the motorcycle and run like hell, but he knew that Cloud would take action before he was ever even able to have the chance.

"This is it!" Cloud shouted, as the two charged directly at Jenova, as Cloud unsheathed his sword. The two reached Jenova, who let out a fiery blast across the bridge. Cloud saw the approaching blast before everything dissolved into white.

* * *

Brightness.

'Where am I?' Cloud felt himself floating within the bright light. He didn't know where he was, nor did he really even care at the moment.

'The light...in the dark city.'

He felt sleepy. The fact that he didn't know how or where he was did not seem to bother him.

"Shh. Don't worry. Everything's alright. Just try and get some rest, okay?" He heard a reassuring voice say.

Cloud felt comfortable and relaxed.

"Ok."

* * *

Thanks so much for reading so far, you guys! I am hoping that you are enjoying it so far and I hope that you all stick around to see what unfolds.

And a special thank you to Outfoxed and KievaLynn for posting your reviews! I definitely take every review and comment to heart and I appreciate it, so thanks again! If anyone else has any other reviews or comments, I would love to hear them! Thanks guys, until next time.


	4. Ahead On Our Way

**Chapter 4 - Ahead On Our Way**

Cloud found himself on the steps leading to the altar in the city beneath the Forgotten Capital of the Ancients. Just up ahead of the stairs, in the middle of the altar, Cloud could make out Aerith's' figure. It was then that he knew that he was dreaming. It was a dream that he had many times before. He dreamt of the last time they saw one another when she was alive. He knew exactly where he was and what was to happen. Cloud already knew the outcome of the dream. As much as he tried to make his body resist stepping forward, the dream would not allow it. It happened the same way every time.

Cloud begged, pleaded to resist the urge of his steps, towards the peaceful, looking woman who kneeled before him. It was like a slow agony, already knowing what was to happen, but feeling absolutely helpless to be able to do anything in this horrific nightmare. He arrived on the alter, as Aerith simply looked up and smiled. Cloud knew himself that this was a dream, but yet his subconscious would not allow him to separate reality from the dream. It was only when Cloud and Aerith made eye contact that he felt like something inside of him just broke. Her emerald eyes glistened, almost as if they were watery. It was impossible to make out the emotion behind her eyes. He saw happiness, hope and sadness, but could not place his finger on the one that was the most profound. Her simple smile remained on her lips. Cloud felt like doing something, saying something, but he already knew that the actions or words wouldn't come, just like they hadn't before. Cloud could still not let go of his grief or realizing that this exchange has been his and Aerith's last, and that moments later, Aerith would be dead.

When he saw the shadowy figure descend from above, he knew exactly the fate that was to befall both Aeris and himself. The figure of Sephiroth descended further down upon Aerith, as she remained peacefully content.

Cloud snapped up suddenly, awakening in a room in the Medical Center in Edge. He felt like he had just been hit by a car. His head was heavy, his eyelids were low, every muscle in his body seemed to ache, causing a distorted expression to appear on his face. He examined his arms and saw small cuts and scratches plastered across them. The sting of the cuts was only subtle, remaining a secondary affliction to the pain and disorientation he felt from the immense pounding that was occurring throughout his brain.

He lifted his hand up to his chest, pressing it over his heart, feeling the intense, fast palpitations of his heartbeat. He wasn't quite sure if his heartbeat was because of the unsure nature of his location, waking up in an unfamiliar setting he did not recognize or whether it was because of the dream he had just awakened from only moments ago. Cloud examined the room. The bright light coming in-between the partially opened blinds of the window caused his eyes to hurt, only furthering the trauma that was occurring inside of his own head.

'Mmm. Must be morning.'

It was only then that he noticed the bed on the opposite side of the room, where Reno was lying. Reno was asleep, his chest steadily moving up and down with every breath that he took. The man didn't look any better than Cloud did. He was covered in cuts and bruises across his face and arms. It was then that Cloud remembered the scenarios of the prior evening.

'That's right. Jenova. Damn...she really did a number on us.'

He did not really know where he was or what his afflictions were. He did not know if Tifa, Barrett and the others knew about his whereabouts and safety. He did not know much about Reno and his current status and for the time being, he really did not care all that much. He had felt so tired and physically worn out that sleep was just about all he could think of. Cloud laid back down, resting his head into the comfort of the pillow. He shut his eyelids. It wasn't long before he had fallen asleep.

* * *

In the Seventh Heaven, Tifa was pacing around nervously. She had opened the bar already, only a few customers coming around for an early breakfast. Some of the customers eyed the woman, cautiously, her skeptic antics making them rather nervous. Whenever she made eye contact with someone, she would flash them a simple smile and then get back to work. Whether it was cooking, cleaning dishes or making drinks, Tifa did anything that she could to keep herself occupied, not letting her mind wander.

It was early in the morning when she and Barrett awoke to find Cloud missing. Tifa always knew that it was usual to have Cloud head out for a few hours in the middle of the day, sometimes telling them of his whereabouts and other times not, but it was very unlikely for him to just not return. When Barrett told Tifa that he had seen Cloud go to bed the night before, that's when she really started to worry. She did her best to not alarm Marlene or Denzel. She knew that if they found out that something bad had happened to Cloud, they would have a fit.

Barrett went out throughout the city to search for Cloud. The early morning provided a cold, brisk drive through the city. He had searched for over an hour but came across no signs of anything that would lead them to Cloud. It was only after two bodies were discovered on the outskirts of Midgar that Barrett took it upon himself to determine the truth. When Barrett had arrived at the Edge Medical Center, he had confirmed that Cloud and Reno were the two bodies that were found. The nurses assured Barrett that the two of them would be fine, but they would need some time to recover, especially after the injuries that they had sustained.

When Barrett had returned the news to Tifa, she was both relieved and disheartened. She felt relieved when she found out that Cloud and Reno were going to pull through, she had no doubt that they wouldn't, but she then felt upset and confused as to what put them in this situation to begin with. 'They have some explaining to do,' Tifa thought, deviously planning the confrontation that she imagined happening between the three of them.

Until that time though, Tifa had nervously paced about the bar all morning, waiting for any more news on their situation.

Marlene and Denzel were sitting at two of the bar stools located just off of the counter's bar, when Marlene curiously piped, "Is Cloud going to be ok, Tifa?"

Tifa shot Marlene a small smile, "We hope so. He's a strong guy, he'll make it through. The nurses told your dad themselves" Tifa tried to do the best that she could to explain the situation. They were still young children after all, they still did not know much about the world or the events that transpired within. They didn't need to know, not just yet. Even at their young age, the two children had already seen much of the world's uneasiness. They had both lost their parents, Denzel was diagnosed with the Geostigma disease and Marlene often worried about her father's life and whereabouts. Tifa knew that the children had already experienced loss and pain and wanted to shield them from it as much as possible.

Tifa placed down two plates of warm, buttery pancakes, marveling in the sight of seeing how big their eyes had become. Tifa let out a playful giggle.

Marlene and Denzel dug into their pancakes. Marlene took a bite while continuing to speak, "I know you and daddy would be really upset if anything bad happened to Cloud." Tifa nodded her head, understandingly. For a girl at Marlene's age, she was simplistic and had knowledge beyond her years, but she was sensitive and vulnerable, as well. Tifa knew this, too, which is why she always dealt Marlene with serious consideration and care, observant not to hurt the young girl's feelings.

"But even if anything bad did happen, I know that the flower lady will be there to look out for him. Right?" she questioned Denzel.

"Yeah!" he replied.

Tifa smiled. She had often heard Marlene talk to Denzel about Aerith, her words passionate and inspiring. Denzel always seemed so interested in hearing the several stories that Marlene would tell about Aerith. The young girl admired Aerith and saw her as a great role model for herself and others. She even began to take on her appearance, wearing a light pink bow in the back of her hair. When Cloud had bought the bow for her, she fell in love with it and refused to part with it. Even for the short presence that she had appeared, Aerith had made a huge impact on Marlene's life. That could be said for many people.

Tifa was snapped out of her thoughts when she saw the door burst open.

"We're here!" Yuffie screamed in excitement, startling the many customers in the store. Yuffie came in carrying several bags, before dropping them on the floor and running up to Tifa to give her a hug. "It's good to see you!"

"You too, Yuffie. I didn't expect you guys til at least the afternoon."

"Well, we made some pretty good time traveling with the Highwind. Didn't take too long to get it off the ground this time, Cid still doesn't know how to fly the damn thing!" Yuffied chimed in.

"I see you bought everyone's stuff in, so you guys can feel free to make your selves at home."

"Oh, that's just mine."

Tifa smiled and nodded. Cid and Shera made their way in, closing the door behind them, spotting Tifa behind the bar. "Hey girl, come over here!" Tifa ran up to Cid, giving him a tight hug and a light kiss on the cheek. "I'm so happy you guys have come!" She went over to Shera, giving her a hug, before examining her belly and rubbing the other woman's stomach lightly. "Wow, look at you!"

Shera went over to one of the tables to take a seat, "I know, it happened so quickly! The baby will be here any day now."

Cid exclaimed, "YEP! We'll have our own little bundle of joy. Shera's thinking that it'll be a girl, but I'm sayin' a boy, 'specially by the way it's always kicking at her!"

"Thank you, honey."

"So, where's Cloud and Barrett at then?" Cid questioned.

"So, Barrett didn't tell you?" Tifa questioned, letting out another sigh. "Cloud's at the hospital. Him and Reno got into an accident last night and they were found this morning. They were pretty beat up."

"Now, how the fuck did that happen!?" Cid shouted.

Tifa quickly hushed Cid, "Cid! Language!" She shot a quick glance over to Marlene, as if that would somehow make Cid's words acceptable. Shera just shot a glare at Cid, that if it could be put to words, would have said, "I think you know better."

Tifa continued, "We don't really know what happened. We'll just have to wait it out until they recover to see what they say."

"Damn!" Cid pressed on, "And Barrett's with them at the hospital?"

Tifa nodded, "He's been there ever since they were found this morning. The nurses have said that the two of them had been sleeping all morning. Right now, it's best to just let them finish recovering first."

* * *

Later on that night, after the Seventh Heaven had closed, Tifa was just finishing cleaning up the place with Shera's help, as the two cleaned down the tables and finished up doing small chores around the bar. She graciously thanked Shera for helping, even though she very specifically told Shera that she would not want to strain herself. Shera was more than happy to comply, however.

Barrett and Cid were sitting at the bar counter, catching up with one another over a couple of beers. Yuffie was upstairs along with Denzel and Marlene, as the two watched her delicately count her materia before them, curiously eyeing them, as if she was starting to believe that they were developing some sort of elaborate plot to steal them from her. Yuffie brushed the thought out of her mind, clearly understanding that she was the one to do that to other people, there was no way some little kids could get back at her.

Once the bar was cleaned, Tifa suggested that they go visit Cloud and Reno at the hospital to check up on them after their incident. The group of them, along with Marlene and Denzel made their way to the hospital. The nice thing about the city of Edge was that everything was fairly close to one another. While the city was fairly large, it was really only walking distance from many of the city's major services. When they arrived in the lobby of the hotel, the employee at the front desk researched the patient files and pointed the group into the right direction.

In the hospital room, Cloud slowly felt himself begin to stir. He and Reno had slept for most of the day, only waking up around noon or so when the nurse had come to them with their lunch. The low light seemed to cast a blue hue across the room, making everything seem dull and dark. He felt clammy and hot, but for the most part, felt much better than he did earlier in the day. Cloud lifted up one of his hands to his eyes, gently rubbing, before sitting up.

"SURPRISE!" Yuffie yelled, nearly giving Cloud a heart attack from the sudden intrusion.

'For the love of God, why? Why? Why?'

Reno slowly shook from the noise, stretching out his arms and letting out a yawn, before he proceeded to lift the blanket over his head and cover his ears.

Yuffie gave Cloud a tight hug, which made Cloud feel as if he was about to snap in half, something he considered ironic, comparing his muscular build against the young teenage ninja's slender form.

"Ok, settle down, Yuffie," Tifa laughed, trying to pry the young ninja off of Cloud. This was probably the most affectionate moment anyone had ever seen from Yuffie, though they weren't quite sure if it was genuine affection or her realizing that her tight hold on Cloud was causing him pain. Either way, Yuffie quietly snickered when she let go.

Cloud, now fully awake, greeted everyone, as they pulled up the chairs around the room and sat around his bed. Reno was left in the opposite side of the room, just trying to block out everyone's voices so he could continue his pleasant descent into sleep."

"So, what the hell happened to you guys, Cloud!?" Cid was the first to chime in.

"Jenova."

"Jenova...?" Almost everyone said, questioning Cloud's validity.

Yuffie paced across the room, "Cloud? How hard did you hit your head?"

Reno pulled back his covers, "He's serious. Rufus sent the Turks and I to the Shinra Headquarters where we found her-"

"Then the two of us met up in Wallmarket, where we chased her down, but she ended up getting the better of us," Cloud finished. "She's a serious threat. She wants to finish her job and destroy the planet. She doesn't care about us, the Shin-Ra, the Ancients, Sephiroth, anything, she just wants the power to be able to destroy everything..."

Tifa didn't like where the topic of conversation was going, especially with Marlene and Denzel nearby. She could just sense the fear in Marlene's expression and she hated seeing her look like this. Tifa quickly got Yuffie's attention. "Yuffie, why don't you take Marlene and Denzel down to the cafe to get something to eat?"

"Of course, I'll do it...for a price," Yuffie stated, raising an eyebrow to the girl, giving a big cheeky grin.

Tifa handed over some gil to the young ninja, who happily made her way out of the doorway, leading Marlene and Denzel along with her.

Once the three were a safe distance away, Tifa turned back to the group surrounding Cloud's bed. "So, what are we going to do?"

"Stop her." Cloud said, the determination sounding in his voice.

Barrett looked disheartened, "Can we? The damn bitch keeps comin' back."

Reno chimed in, "It's not going to be easy. We don't know where she is or where she might be going. She could be under our noses the whole time and we might never find her."

Cloud continued, "We'll have to track her down somehow. We have to stop her. She's caused so much pain and suffering for many, for us, we can't just sit by and let her get her way."

Tifa turned to Cloud, "Why didn't you tell us sooner? Why didn't you let us help last night?"

Cloud thought for a moment, "There was too much to lose. Think about it, we've started these new lives for ourselves" he continued, staring at Tifa to Shera, then Cid and Barrett, "we have children and families to protect. We have memories and dreams that we want to hold on to. I couldn't ask my friends to put aside their own lives to help out. This was my fight to finish."

Tifa stopped him, "Cloud, you wouldn't have to ask us. We're your friends. It's what we do."

"We care about you, Spike. We all do. We're not going to let you go in through something like this alone," Barrett stated, the sincerity in his voice shocking Cloud.

Cloud smiled, small enough to barely notice, but still existent. "Thank you,...everyone. If we were to give up now, everything that we've fought for, everything that we've tried to protect over the last couple of years would have been for nothing. I'm not willing to lay down my life and surrender. I'm not willing to lose my family and friends. I'm not willing to put my memories and dreams to rest. The planet's life is on the line. We're going to be the ones to save it. Again."

Cloud's words were moving. Tifa felt her eyes begin to water, trying to hold back a few tears. Barrett felt inspirationally moved, almost as if this was everything he's always been wanting to teach Cloud for the last couple of years. Barrett even found himself getting choked up over Cloud's words, vaguely remembering himself say something like this before. "Heh, what happened to the ol' pain-in-the-ass Strife we used to know?" At this, Tifa let out a laugh, as a few tears ran down her face.

Cloud chuckled lightly. "I think he's grown up a little." He ran his hand through his hair.

Cloud looked at them, "So, what do you say? How about one last mission together?"

The three looked at one another for just a moment.

Barrett nodded, "I'm in."

Tifa stepped forward, "Me too."

Cloud smiled, "Alright, let's mosey."

* * *

Later that night, Tifa and Barrett had returned to the Seventh Heaven, along with Cid, Shera, Yuffie, Marlene and Denzel. Cloud and Reno had remained behind, still recovering in the hospital. When they arrived back at the bar, Cid and Shera started to prepare themselves for bed. They were going to be staying in Denzel's room, while the young boy would be staying with Tifa. Yuffie was just going to crash on the nearest couch available.

Tifa spotted Barrett who was sitting at one of the bar stools. She nervously approached the man, too timid to address the situation that was dwelling in her mind. Barrett could tell by Tifa's expression on her face that she was troubled. Deep down, he already knew what was on her mind.

"Barrett, you have to tell her that we'll be leaving again." Tifa said, reluctantly.

There was a moment of silence. "...I know..." Barrett's voice sounded broken. Tifa walked around the corner of the bar, approaching Barrett from behind. She wrapper her arms around the man, leaning her head onto the man's back. She could feel Barrett shaking slightly, as he released several inaudible sobs. "I just wish she could come with us."

"Barrett, I know. But it's dangerous out there. You wouldn't want her to get hurt, none of us do." Tifa continued, "We have a battle ahead of us and that means we have to leave a few things behind. Most of the times, it's the ones that are most important to us. Our families and our friends."

Barrett continued to sob. He knew he had a mission, it was quite clear. He wanted to defend and protect the planet; he just always had a problem coping with leaving his daughter. He felt guilty and ashamed. He felt like one of those fathers that left war, promising to see their child before they know it, but realizing that they have no idea when that actually is. The thought tore at him.

Tifa encouraged him, "You should go to her. You should be with her right now." Barrett got up off the bar stool and made his way towards the stairs, heading towards his room. He quickly glanced back at Tifa. "Thank you," he said lowly.

Barrett made his way up the stairs, as Tifa heard him enter into his room. She knew that he had felt awful about the situation, but he knew that it was also for the best. There was no possible way Marlene or Denzel would be able to come along on an adventure like this. There was too much at stake to begin with, but having two children along with them would only create a much greater liability for them. Tifa knew that, while Marlene would be saddened by his sudden departure, Barrett knew that it was truly for the best.

Tifa made her way up the staircase, passing by Barrett and Marlene's room at the top of the stairs. Inside, she saw Barrett kneeling down on the floor, his arms wrapped around Marlene, as the young girl gently cried, embracing her father. Marlene already knew what was happening.

* * *

The morning had come soon enough. The sun stretched over the city, coating the city in a warm orange glow. Tifa had awakened fairly early in the morning, not that she had the best night's sleep anyway. She had showered and packed some of her belongings by the time Barrett even woke up. She went over to the Medical Center early to check Cloud and Reno out of their stay and took them back to the Seventh Heaven when they were ready to go.

Tifa got into Barrett's buggy, getting into the driver's seat, waiting for Cloud and Reno to buckle themselves in.

"Ugh, I'm not used to these bulky vehicles. They make me feel sick," Cloud said, resting his arm on his stomach. He wasn't quite sure if it was motion sickness that he was feeling or if it was the remnants of his incidents still causing pain throughout his body.

Tifa patted him on the back, "Hm. It's a shame Fenrir got pretty wrecked in the accident, isn't it?" Tifa gave him a wink. "Though Cid brought up into the Highwind's cargo hold. He said that he plans on repairing parts of it whenever he gets the chance. Be sure to thank him when you get back."

"Yeah, yeah."

The three had returned to the Seventh Heaven, where Cid, Shera, Yuffie and Denzel were waiting for them. Barrett was awake and upstairs and started to pack a few of his belongings, as Marlene watched over him.

The bar was closed for the time being. There were no customers, no early morning guests wanting their breakfasts, just their friends. "Hey guys, we're back," Tifa said, as she walked into the door with the two men.

"Eh, how you two doin'?" Cid asked, approaching the two men.

Cloud answered, "Feeling much better. Thanks."

"We knew you'd make a speedy recovery, Cloud. Wasn't too sure about you though, Reno," Yuffie answered, hiding her lips to conceal her smile.

Reno simply rolled his eyes, "Same story from all of you guys."

Tifa questioned the group, "So, you guys are all packed?"

Shera was the first to speak up. "Yeah, we didn't really have much of an opportunity to unpack. Barrett's just about done packing up his things, too. So, we should be ready to head out pretty soon."

"Hey guys, I'm gonna go finish up packing a few things before we head out. I'll be upstairs if you need me," Cloud responded. When he reached the steps of the stairs, he turned around and faced the group of friends before him. 'And thanks again, you guys. I'm sorry that your visit here didn't exactly go as planned and you all become wound up in this mess. I didn't really want it to happen like-"

"Can it, Cloud." Cid interrupted. "You said it yaself last night, we got a lot to be fightin' for. We're not gonna let you do this by yourself." Cloud gave another nod to the group, before heading up the stairs to pack away a few of his belongings, preparing for the adventure that lied ahead of him.

When Cloud had returned downstairs, the entire group was there waiting for him, including Barrett and Marlene. Barrett had remained fairly quiet all morning long, something that Cloud had noticed every time Barrett had felt very emotional. Marlene tried to remain very optimistic, but it was very easy to see that the girl was saddened and hurt to have to be separated from her father again. Tifa noticed that Denzel was fairly acceptable of the situation. He was not as sensitive as Marlene was, nor did he really have that emotional attachment as Marlene did to Barrett. Tifa could see that Denzel was upset by the situation, as well, but he understood why they had to leave yet again.

"So, I guess we'd better get ahead on our way then?" Cid questioned, taking a step forward with a few of their bags in his hands.

"Right." Cloud nodded. "But before we do, we gotta take care of these kiddos." He pointed to Marlene and Denzel, running his hand across the young boy's hair.

* * *

Cloud approached the house's doorway with Marlene and Denzel at his sides. Barrett and Tifa trailed closely behind the man.

"Are you sure she's okay with this, Cloud?" Barrett said, a sense of uncertainty in her voice. "I'd hate to impose a big problem."

Cloud turned his head back to the man and assured him, "Nah, I spoke with her last night about it. She said that she would be more than happy to help out."

Barrett gave out a small sigh of acceptance, "Like mother like daughter, I guess."

Cloud knocked on the wooden door of the house.

Just a moment later, Elmyra opened the door and greeted everyone, welcoming them inside of her home.

Upon stepping inside of her home, it was just as nice and ornately decorated as her previous home in the slums of Midgar. The outside, ordinary appearance of the facade, masked the beautiful interior. The living room featured a small sitting area by a television, which led the way into the kitchen and dining room section of the house. They noticed the beautiful flowers and plants that had been planted throughout the house, almost as a constant reminder of Elmyra's daughter.

Elmyra approached Cloud and grasped his cheeks, "Cloud, dear. How have you been? Are you eating alright? Are you hungry?"

Cloud slightly chuckled at the woman's eagerness. "No, I'm ok." Cloud had always liked Elmyra. She was a slightly plump woman, not a day over fifty. Her face showed that she had led quite a difficult life, having lost her husband and step-daughter, but it was her gentle and vibrant nature that breathed life into her. Her loose hairs were tied into a messy bun. He had noted that Elmyra was very similar to Aerith. 'Hm. Did Elmyra influence Aerith to become the way she was? Or was it the other way around?"

For the brief time that he had spent at her house back in Midgar with Aerith, he began to remember what it was like to have a mother, to have a family. From observing the interactions between Aerith and Elmyra, he saw that there was a lot of respect and care, but most of all, love. It was something that Cloud had wanted, even though he would never vocalize it. Elmyra was the closest thing that he had to a sort of 'mother' anymore. He did not see her often, really, but it didn't matter. When the two had seen one another, it was Elmyra's kind and courteous nature that always got the best of Cloud.

Barrett and Tifa made their way into the living room. "Of course, it's always a pleasure to see you, too, dears," Elmyra, stated, giving each of the two a hug.

"Elmyra!" Marlene shouted, running up to the woman and wrapping her arms around the woman's long skirt.

"I'm so happy you're back, sweetie." She said, returning the hug to Marlene. "And Denzel." Elmyra extended out her arm, offering the young boy to join the embrace. Denzel cautiously accepted the woman's embrace. Elmyra knew that it was difficult for them, for everyone really, but she really did try to do the best that she could in this situation. Denzel saw how great Elmyra had been to Marlene and Cloud, it made him excited and hopeful that he would be getting back more of a "family" that he had lost long ago. The idea both excited and terrified him, but he was willing to accept this sudden change in his life. "Your beds are all ready upstairs. We're going to make you right at home, dears," Elmyra enticed, wanting the two children to feel comfortable.

Barrett stepped forward, "Everyone, do you think y'all could give me a sec' with Marlene?" The others agreed, as Elmyra led Tifa off into the kitchen for a cup of coffee that she just put on the stove, while Cloud was left to walk about the hallway, with nowhere in particular that he was really heading.

When the room had cleared, Barrett gave Marlene a hug and tried to hold back any sobs that might have come forth. He wanted Marlene to remember her father as a strong man, someone that she could rely on. "I'm sorry, Marlene."

"Don't be sad, daddy. I don't want you to be sad." Marlene wiped away one of the tears that had fallen down Barrett's cheek. Marlene was holding up surprisingly well and it actually made Barrett feel a bit better. Barrett pulled Marlene into a tight embrace, one that he hoped would last forever, even when he knew that it couldn't.

"I love you, daddy."

Cloud walked down the hallway leading from the living room into the kitchen. There was a single clock ticking in one of the corners of the room, while the opposite side of the hallways featured an end table with a bouquet of flowers on top of it. The flowers reminded Cloud of the ones that he had found in Aerith's church. Along the wall, there were a series of hung pictures. Some of family members, some of an unknown man, who Cloud believed must have been Elmyra's late husband and then finally, several pictures of Aerith.

He looked closely at one of the pictures of Aerith. In the picture, her light brown hair fell freely behind her, in wavy loose curls. A single yellow flower was tucked behind one of her ears. Aerith flashed a beaming smile to the camera, as she tucked a few stray bangs behind her ear. Cloud thought that the picture was simple, but beautiful.

Cloud was suddenly snapped out of his thoughts when he heard a cough come from behind him. He turned around to spot Elmyra, who had a simple smile on her face. Cloud quickly tried to cover for himself, "Uh...sorry, I was just...um..."

Elmyra simply shook her head and laughed, "It's alright, Cloud."

"Now that I think about it, I think this is the first time I've ever seen a picture of Aerith."

Elmyra examined the pictures closer, "Oh, I have many. Pictures are ways to look back into our lives, to the memories of the times when we were with the people who had made us the happiest."

"I know. Pictures really do provide you with a sort of comfort." Cloud agreed, as he remembered the set of pictures that he kept across his desk back in his bedroom, the ones including all of their friends and Marlene and Denzel, everyone whom was important to him. 'Well, almost everyone.'

Elmyra continued, "Aerith used to tell me that there were always two things that we should hold onto throughout our lives. Happiness and our memories. When I first took in Aerith after her mother had died many years ago, I knew I had my work cut out for me, but that young girl had provided me with one of the happiest times of my life." Elmyra said, feeling herself overcome with a mixture of feelings, sadness and grief over the loss of her daughter, but also happiness and love for being able to have had such a daughter in the first place. "My memories of my time as her mother is one of my most important things."

"After she had left, I felt so lonely. My husband was gone, my daughter was gone and that's when I realized, I spent most of my life alone. It was an awful feeling to be by myself." Cloud nodded, understandingly. He, too, had experienced what it was like to be alone. He did not necessarily hate it, but he did not find the most comfort in it, either. "That's why I always love when I have people to take care of, especially like Marlene and Denzel. I feel like I'm gaining a part of my family back. There's nothing more important than family."

Cloud moved in to wrap her arms around Elmyra, understanding and sympathizing with her grief. Elmyra returned the embrace before pulling away, wiping away a few of her tears before letting out a small smile and a slight chuckle. She went towards the picture of Aerith and removed it from the wall. "Here...I want you to have this."

Cloud stood there for a moment. "...What?"

"Well, I just know how much you meant to Aerith...and I want you to have a memory of her, too." Cloud grasped the wooden frame of the picture, staring at the delicate features of the flower girl. He was slightly taken aback; it was the first time he actually had a picture of Aerith in his possession. He had pictures of all of his other friends, but not a single one of Aerith. This is when he realized that this was one of the nicest things that anyone has ever done for him.

"Thank you."

They had all met back up in the living room, where Barrett was saying goodbye to Marlene. It was a sad scene to witness, but everyone was surprised by how well Marlene was holding up. Cloud approached Denzel and knelt down beside the young boy. "Take good care of Marlene, ok?" Denzel gave an assuring nod. Cloud gave Denzel a pat on the head and smiled. Tifa soon stepped up to Denzel and embraced the young boy.

"Don't worry, we'll come back really soon." Denzel gave a simple nod at Tifa's response.

Cloud and Tifa made their way towards the door, watching as Barrett embraced Marlene for a quick second. Barrett lifted Marlene up into his arms and carried her over to Elmyra. The woman took Marlene into her arms and flashed a beaming smile. Barret headed over towards the door to join Cloud and Tifa.

"Thanks again, Elmyra." Cloud stated, before he and Tifa both waved at the two children and exited out of the door.

Barrett passed through the door frame and turned around to glance back at Marlene, who was smiling happily at her father. Barrett gave the smallest of waves to Marlene, before shutting the door behind him.

* * *

The three had met the others just on the outskirts of Edge. The Highwind was parked a few hundred meters away. The Highwind was a massive flying jet, though, it seemed somewhat smaller than Cloud had always remembered it to be. The sky was clear and the sun had already risen up into the sky. It was a warm day with a slight breezy wind.

"So, I guess we should be ahead on our way then?" Cid was the first to speak up once everyone was together. "Cloud, do you know where we goin'?"

Cloud shook his head, "Not necessarily. We don't know how far Jenova has gone. I thought that it would be a good idea to split up. We'd cover more ground faster that way." Cloud looked around to see if anyone had any objections. "A few of us can split up and take the Highwind, while the other can take the buggy and travel throughout the smaller towns and plains."

"Ew...well then I got dibs on the Highwind!" Yuffie shouted, excitedly. "There is no way you'll ever catch me inside one of those things!" Yuffie started taking off towards the Highwind before she had even completely finished her sentence. She was unable to be stopped by anyone.

"Well then, if I got to deal with that little &$%#, you comin' with me too, Cloud! I got to have someone with half a goddamn brain to balance out her dumbass."

Cloud nodded. "So, I guess that leaves you and Barrett to take the buggy." Tifa nodded. "Does that sound about right?"

"Actually, it sounds VERY wrong." Reno chimed in. "Where am I in these plans?"

"You're coming, too?" Cloud asked, perplexed by the man's decision.

"Well, uh,...yeah." Reno answered after a moment. "That thing beat my ass, too. I'm not willing to go down without dishing out some payback! Besides, I want to play the role of the good guy, too. At least for a little bit," Reno said with a smirk.

"So, you good at navigating?" Cloud asked the red-headed man.

"Well, yeah, to be a part of the Turks we had to know our way around the place, so I guess I'm not too bad."

"Good, then you can take the buggy."

"I walked into that one, didn't I?" Reno rolled his eyes and joined Barrett and Tifa. "I guess it's not so bad though, I get to be stuck with this babe," he said, as he gestured towards Tifa.

Tifa fanned herself, "Ugh, so flattering! I just can't control myself."

"The ladies never do," Reno said simply. Tifa remained to have a blank expression on her face, realizing that her blatant sarcasm went right over Reno's head.

"Ok, then!" Cid interrupted. "So, the Highwind'll be checkin; out the larger cities, while the buggy group'll be checkin' out the smaller towns and shit?"

"Right." Cloud answered, scratching the back of his head. "Barrett, Tifa and Reno, you guys will make your way over to Junon. You guys can still check out the rest of Edge, Kalm, Condor and any forests or plains. We should have Junon checked out by the time you guys get there." The group nodded at Cloud's request. "If you guys run into trouble, just give us a call and we'll try to get there as quick as we can."

"Gotcha, Spike." Barrett said to Cloud, before removing the car's keys from his pocket. He, Tifa and Reno made their way over to the buggy, giving the others a wave as they entered into the car.

Cloud shouted back to them, "We'll meet up with you guys in Junon in a few days! Just keep us up to date on your progress!"

Cloud, Cid and Shera made their way up to the Highwind, where Yuffie was already waving at them excitedly from the ship's deck.

Cloud began his ascent up towards the Highwind's deck. "You know, sometimes I really don't know how you can stand her."

Shera smiled and chastised Cloud, "Oh, come on now, Cloud. She really isn't that bad. She's still young. Just give her the benefit of the doubt."

"Hmph. All right."

When they had arrived on the deck of the Highwind, Cid started to make his way towards the engine room, checking to see that everything was in the correct, operating procedures for their flight. Before Cid entered into the engine room, Cloud was able to catch up to him.

"Cid!" Cloud chased after the man. "Wait up just a sec!"

Cid turned around, raising his eyebrows with Cloud, as he snuffed out his cigarette that he had just placed in his mouth. "What's up, man?"

"Do you think you can do me a small favor before we head off towards Junon?"

Cid questioned, "A favor?"

Cloud nodded his head.

* * *

Cloud stepped into the field of flowers, as the Highwind loomed overhead. The field of golden and white flowers was contrasted against the light blue hue of the sky. The entire field seemed to be enveloped in the warmth of the sunlight.

Cloud continued to cross his way into the flower field, waiting for Aerith to appear. He had wanted to see her before he had left. To be honest, he didn't know when he would be able to return or when this adventure would be over. He wanted to tell her that he might be gone for a little while, but he'll come back once it's all over. Cloud began to feel something stir inside of him, a similar feeling to what Barrett felt when he had to say goodbye to Marlene. It was sadness, but also hope for a safe mission.

Cloud waited for another moment longer. Still, nothing came. The breeze blew through the flower fields, tracing over Cloud's skin. "Aerith..." Cloud waited for another longer moment.

'Where are you?...'

Cloud still continued to look over the flower field, as if she was somehow hidden within them. It took him another moment to realize that Aerith would not be here today if she wasn't already there. Cloud felt saddened by this. He didn't want her to think that he would have just left for a while without saying anything. Still, Cloud knew that there was an important mission ahead of him. He turned his back away from the flower field and headed back towards the Highwind.

"I'm searching for you, Aerith." Cloud had left the flower field. "I'll come back soon and then I'll find you."


	5. Highwind

**Chapter 5 - Highwind**

Cloud ascended up the ladder of the Highwind, reaching the deck. By the time Cloud had reached the interior of the ship, Cid was already finished checking up on the Engine Room and was already planted in the captain' seat of the cockpit. Shera was at his side, analyzing a few of the computers, taking a last minute routine checkup of all of the computer panels. There were a few crew members running about the cockpit frantically, making sure that everything was up and running for the take-off.

"Damn it guys, I took care of everythin'! Now sit your asses in one spot and get ready for takeoff!" Cid announced over the intercom.

Cloud walked up through the cockpit, taking a spot at the large glass atrium at the front of the ship, which provided a great view of the plane's direction. Through the large atrium, Cloud could see the flower fields just ahead. A slight wind blew through the field, swaying the flowers back and forth. Cloud was interrupted out of his thoughts when Cid spoke up.

"You take care of everythin', Cloud?"

"...Yeah." It didn't sound too convincing, though, but he thought that nobody could really hear it to begin with, under the rumble of the starting engines.

"We're about to head out. We should make it to Junon in an hour or two. As long as everythin' goes to plan."

"Good. Right on track."

Cid continued to play with a few switches and nozzles at a speed that seemed almost too confident to actually make sense to be legitimate. Cloud trusted Cid to know what he was doing, though, so he was only slightly concerned. The continuing rumble of the engine caused the entire airplane to shake and vibrate. It was quite unnerving on the ground, but once the plane was in the air, it was barely noticeable. Cloud already felt slightly nauseous and nervous when the engine started to vibrate and shake. The noises the entire plane made did not seem to help, either.

Shera came up from around the corner, placing a cup of tea on the dashboard by Cid's arm. "Here you go, dear. I made you some tea." She tenderly rubbed her stomach, as she passed the cup over to her husband. She could have sworn that she felt a kick as she did so.

Cid took the cup from her. "God, I fuckin' love you." Shera smiled and placed a hand on his shoulder.

"Have you guys seen Yuffie around?" Cloud tried to raise his voice over to the hum of the engine.

Shera looked at Cloud quickly, in-between doing small tasks around the cockpit of the plane. "Nope, haven't seen her since we stepped on board. She usually hangs around the deck or the Meeting Room. She doesn't do too well with moving vehicles, either."

Cloud remembered, 'That's right. Last time she nearly got sick all over me. Maybe I should steer clear.'

Shera took a look at Cloud. "Are you all right, Cloud? You look a little pale. Maybe you should lie down?"

"Yeah, thanks."

Cloud exited the cockpit, not really sure where he was necessarily headed. He just wanted to get somewhere on the plane where the rumble of the engine was not as loud and where he could maybe get some sleep until they arrived to Junon. He couldn't remember the last time he had a good night's sleep. Cloud made his way through the Maintenance Bay, stopping by the Meeting Room to see if Yuffie was inside.

Inside, he found Yuffie sitting at the end of a long wooden table in the center of the room. The Meeting Room wasn't anything too special, just an office space where Cid and others would have routine meetings before takeoff. There were several chairs scattered around the table, while the metal walls remained fairly plain. Cloud found the young ninja spinning around in one of the chairs, with a fairly bored expression on her face. When she noticed the soldier enter the room, she stopped spinning to greet him.

"Hey Cloud."

"You know, that's probably not too well for your motion sickness..." Cloud took a seat at one of the chairs surrounding the table.

"Yeah, but it's not too bad in this room. Not like in the cockpit right above the engine room." There was silence between the two of them for just a moment. "So, do you really think that we could do this?"

Cloud nodded, "I think so."

"To be honest, when I heard that we might actually go on another mission, I actually got really excited! Goin' on missions, pilfering stuff, almost getting killed, that's a good Saturday night for me!" Yuffie laughed out loud.

Cloud continued, "So, what'll you be doing after all of this?" Cloud really didn't know where any of this was coming from. He wasn't sure if he was trying to keep up conversation just to avoid the feeling of motion sickness, but he was never really one to initiate conversation.

"I don't really know." Yuffie said, taking a spin in the chair. "I can't live with Cid and Shera forever, you know. Especially when the baby's coming soon. Having a roof over my head is nice, I suppose, but I'd be too much of a hassle then."

Cloud thought to himself, 'Hm. At least she KNOWS she's a hassle.'

Yuffie continued, "Now that I think about it, I really don't know. I liked Edge, but Tifa would never allow me back in Seventh Heaven."

"Yeah, that much is true."

"HEY! Hey! I wasn't too bad. Not really." The two let out a laugh. "Don't tell her, but when I got kicked out of that place, I was so mad at Tifa!"

"Yuffie, I was there. I saw. You stole money from the cash register and then slammed the door on your way out. You're just glad that Tifa didn't hold a grudge against you for that."

Yuffie smiled, "Yeah, not exactly one of my best moments. But come on, that's what I do!"

Cloud questioned, "Have you ever thought about going back to Wutai?"

"Gawd, no! As soon as I get there, my father will drive me up a wall AGAIN! He's the big hot-shot of Wutai and believes that I should follow in his footsteps. He thinks that one should always be moving up in life and I just don't care about any of that."

"Why?" Cloud realized that this was probably the most he had talked to Yuffie in the past couple of years that he had known her.

"Are you kidding me? I don't want to be 'Ms. Prim and Proper of Wutai'. What is that? Lame. He's all for the riches and fame. I'm all for stealing it. I don't want to be the mature role model for all the kiddos back at home, at least not yet."

Cloud nodded. "You just don't want any of that for yourself. It's funny, most people I know would kill to have all the riches and importance that you would have."

"Really, it's nothing all that special. I don't think my father really gets that. He could give me hundreds of materia and I still wouldn't want to live that life. It's created so many problems between us! I'll be mature one day," she said, rolling her eyes. "Just give me a few years. I just want some time for myself, though."

"That's understandable."

"I'll figure out what I'll want to do with my life eventually."

The two heard the engine begin to roar louder. Cloud looked around for a moment. "I guess it's about time for us to be taking off."

"'Fraid so."

"I'm gonna go to one of the cabins. Maybe get some sleep before we get up into the air."

"Okay. See ya later, Cloud."

Cloud made his way back into the Maintenance Bay and slid open the metal door that led to the hallway, where four metal doors were located. Three of the doors led to cabins, while the last door led to a bathroom. Cloud slid open one of the doors. The cabins were small, very small and compact. Right inside of the cabin, the bed lied horizontally right at the foot of the door, leaving room to only climb into the bed and shut the door once you were fully inside. There was a window to the side of the bed, which Cloud had kept closed most of the time. It didn't help him with his motion sickness at all.

Cloud made his way into the bed and slipped under the thin covers of the blankets, still feeling a slight chill. He tried to push the feeling of the unnerving take off out of his head. He rested his head into the pillow and hoped to have a peaceful sleep. Cloud soon let out a yawn and found himself closing his eyes and drifting off.

* * *

"Well, that was rather stupid. Don't you think?"

"It's a part of the job, Reno. Even if it was too obvious that Jenova would be in Edge, we still had to take a look around the place before we could continue, anyway," Tifa scolded the man.

She, Barrett and Reno had spent the last hour and half looking for any signs of Jenova or suspicious activity in Edge, but it seemed rather pointless. After her run-in with both Cloud and Reno a few days prior, they doubted that she would be hanging about the place to cause more of a scene. So, they had spent much of the early afternoon traversing the city's streets, not finding anything too particularly interesting or out of the ordinary. Throughout the search, Barrett had been tempted to return to Elmyra's house to visit Marlene, but he knew that, as much as he wanted to give into temptation, he was on an important mission. He had a job to do and Marlene would have to wait for a little bit longer.

"Well, can't this entire goose chase be one, big hoax? That thing can shape shift and transform, who says that we're even looking for anything like Jenova? She could be anything." Reno began to feel paranoid. He slowly turned around and raised an eyebrow to Barrett, with a puzzled look on his face. He slowly approached the man.

"Get outta here, foo'! I ain't no extraterrestrial shit!"

Reno threw his arms up in surrender. "Ok, ok! Just making sure." He let out a nervous laugh. "So, then, where are we headed to?"

Tifa answered for them, "Kalm." Tifa led the two men down one of the streets, towards the intersection where they had previously parked the buggy. "We should make it there by sunset, so it shouldn't be too long of a journey. It would be worse if we had to travel on foot."

"Ah, I gotcha." Reno said, as he opened the passenger seat's door for Tifa. Barrett got into the driver's seat and placed the keys in the ignition, powering up the vehicle. "So, what's in Kalm?"

"You've never been?" Tifa questioned the man. "It's a small town not too far from Edge, located off by the ocean. There's nothing too interesting about the town, it's just a small village, but it's actually a very nice place to live."

Reno nodded his head, understandingly. "So, after we're done checking the place for Jenova, we'll be spending the night at the village inn?"

"Nope," Barrett replied.

"Why not?!" Tifa and Reno replied in unison.

"We got a lot of ground to cover. We'll be spendin' the whole day traveling and going to Kalm when we only got a couple of days before we gotta be in Junon. We'll be travelin' through the chocobo fields and the mine caverns all day tomorrow and then some. Then, we'll be at Fort Condor and the woods leading to Junon the next day. We ain't really got that much time. I thought we could head out a little early tonight and already have a good start for tomorrow," Barrett explained.

"So...we'll be camping out tonight?" Reno seemed annoyed. Even Tifa seemed rather less than thrilled with the idea.

Barrett started to drive the buggy down the street, making his way towards the outskirts of Edge, towards their next destination. "Yep! Unless ya'll don't want to keep track of your time!"

Tifa thought about it for a second. "I think we'll be alright if we camp out just for the night...but only if we can find a nice spot in Fort Condor tomorrow night!"

"Deal." Barrett gave out a smile and agreed to Tifa's terms. "So, where are your dumbass buddies at?" He directed the question towards Reno.

"The Turks? They already left Edge. They have their own agenda, I guess."

Tifa questioned the red-headed man. "Since when have you switched sides?"

"Hey, now! I'm a Turk through and through. I'm going to lend a hand to help out. Even the Turks with Rufus' help are thinking of a way to stop Jenova. We're on your side this time."

"Heh, I believe it when I see it." Barrett let out a grunt, as he continued to drive down the crowded city street.

"And they decided to leave you behind?" Tifa questioned.

"Yeah, bunch of numbskulls, right? They're not gonna get anywhere without me around. Looks like you got an advantage. They got a head start when I was still in the hospital," Reno stated. "Rude's been filling me in on the details, but I don't exactly know everything that their planning up. From what I've heard, Rufus is hiring some more recruits to help with their initiative. I'm sure we'll cross paths again sooner or later. If their heads are screwed on correctly, they should have everything under control."

* * *

The Highwind made its' way straight towards Junon. From the seats of the vehicle, From the deck of the ship, one could see the mask of pollution that seemed to cover the city. Junon was located right on the edge of the continent, practically jutting out of the land formation's side. Due to its' convenient geographical location, Junon became a common location for plane and ship travel. A specific part of the city was built to accommodate the needs of traveling and trade throughout the city. Junon became a city that held a massive role in the import and export of goods across the world with the usage of cargo ships and planes, amongst other forms of travel.

However, with the increased rate of production and the construction of these mechanical wonders, Junon had once fallen into a state of overwhelming pollution. While the parts of the city that were located by the cargo transports remained well kept, the harbor at the base of the city had been greatly affected. There seemed to be a constant smog, which looked as bad as it smelled, which seemed to linger throughout the harbor. The houses were ramshackled and the beach leading to the ocean had become polluted and dangerous to swim in.

Since that time, however, the condition of Junon's harbor had greatly improved. The pollution throughout the city had greatly been reduced and the citizen's took action to make their city a better place. They had constructed new homes, utilized less technology and did a great job cleaning up the beach and the surrounding waters of the city. The city was greatly improved from its' former self three years prior.

When the Highwind had landed down onto the landing platform, Cid came over the intercom and stated that they would be able to depart from the plane in less than ten minutes.

Cloud lifted his head from his pillow and raised a hand to his face, to rub his tired eyes. He had actually had a pretty decent nap and felt very comfortable. He didn't realize how tired he was until he had awoken from his sleep. When he looked outside of the window, he could see the other air crafts parked around the landing platform.

'Hm, must be here already...' Cloud lifted himself off of the bed and ran a hand through his hair. He left the small hallway of cabins and proceeded through the Maintenance Bay. When he had reached the cockpit, Cid, Shera and Yuffie were already waiting for him.

"Hey Cloud, where ya been?" Yuffie questioned, laughing at his now flat hair.

"Sorry, must have overslept," Cloud said with a slight shrug.

Shera simply laughed it off. "It's alright, but we're ready to head in town."

Cloud headed towards the door, "Got it!"

The four of them had descended down onto the landing platform at the edge of Junon. Compared to all of the other planes scattered across the platform, the Highwind seemed absolutely massive. They made their way towards the elevator shaft located on one end of the landing platform and got in. The elevator platform led down into the lower half of the city, where the harbor was located. Junon was a lot like Midgar a few years ago. The uppermost tier of the city were filled with rich citizens, government officials and employees and citizens that were closely tied to the Shin-Ra Company, while the base of the city was filled with many poor and homeless families that were barely scraping by.

When Cloud and the others had reached the base of the elevator, they had noticed that the condition of the harbor had greatly improved and were pleased with the sight. There was very little pollution throughout the area and more importantly, the area seemed more beautiful. The entire village surrounding the harbor seemed to invoke a quaint fishing village, connected to the beach and harbor, which led out to the sea. Many of the citizens that worked throughout the village often held occupations as fishermen or worked in fish markets. There seemed to be a lively bustling of people throughout the charming village.

"Well, check this place out!" Yuffie said, as she excitedly ran towards the fountain that was located in the center of the village's square.

"Yeah, this place has definitely changed for the better since the last time we were here," Cloud stated, as he followed the young girl.

"This place looks great! Let's go swimming at the beach!" Yuffie said, excitedly.

"Not interested," Cloud said simply.

Yuffie persuaded, "Pfft! Come on, Cloud!" Yuffie took hold of the man's arm and began to drag him away.

"Yuffie, hold on!" Cloud tried to protest. "We're on an important mission, remember?"

Yuffie sighed and rolled her eyes. "Oh Cloud, you're no fun! Let loose and get out for a little while." While the two continued to talk, Cid and Shera headed off towards the inn, looking to get some lodging accommodations for the next couple of evenings.

"Yuffie, the mission just started. Maybe I'll 'get out' a little later. Right now, I just want to find some leads and get some work done."

"Okay, Cloud! But if you change your mind, you know where we'll be!" Yuffie shouted to Cloud, as she raced to catch up to Cid and Shera who made their way to the newly constructed inn.

'Crazy girl...' Cloud thought to himself, as he made his way around the village. He was very impressed with the transformation that he had seen. While it wasn't necessarily a vacation paradise like Costa del Sol, it was the charming setting of the village that made this place unlike any other. Cloud continued to take a look around the shops and buildings, not really taking an interest in anything too particular. 'Nothing really seems out of the ordinary down here.'

Cloud remembered his previous encounters with Jenova. 'She's not one for subtlety. If she were here, she would make sure that I was well aware of it.' Cloud had decided to take the elevator shaft back up to the upper level of the city. He still had a lot of time left throughout the day and he wanted to spend it productively. It was only when he reached the upper level of the city that he realized that he had left his sword and armor back on the Highwind. Even if he were to run into Jenova, he would surely be no match and would be cut down in moments.

This, however, did not prevent Cloud from continuing to take a look around the city. 'At least it will give me a head start for tomorrow.' Cloud really didn't seem to mind taking his time, though. Regardless, they would still have to wait until Barrett, Tifa and Reno got there in a few days.

Much of the upper level of the city was exactly as Cloud had remembered it to be. There were tall buildings that made up the skyline of the city, consisting of company offices and apartment complexes. There had once been a large cannon that was placed at the forefront of the city, operating as Junon's major defense mechanism, but ever since Weapon's attack years ago, the cannon had been moved over to Midgar, where it was later destroyed and dismantled. Cloud still wasn't quite used to seeing the city with this large missing piece of it.

Cloud continued to traverse the streets aimlessly, not having any main direction to head to. He was snapped out of his thoughts when he heard two men in conversation walk past him.

"Did you see that thing back there?" One of the men said, pointing down towards an alley.

"Yeah, what the hell was that!?"

Cloud took this as a possible lead and probably, the most significant one that he was going to get. Cloud quickly ran his way down the alley that he believed was the one that the man had pointed to. The alley was dark and cluttered with trash. 'Nice.' They alley led to another intersection of city buildings. When he had taken a look around, he didn't notice anything out of the ordinary, though he wasn't necessarily sure of what he was looking for to begin with. Cloud continued down the sidewalk on the side of the building, continuing around the corner.

When he reached the opposite corner, that's when he saw it. From afar, Cloud couldn't quite make out what it was. It was red or black in color, perhaps both. It seemed to be solid, yet airy and it also seemed to float about instead of walk. Cloud had trouble comprehending what exactly it was he was seeing. It was an enigma of sorts, completely existing as a being, but with no solid physical features to be able to describe what this thing was. Cloud decided that he was going to be the one to find out.

The blonde-haired soldier quickly made his way down the street, approaching the thing. Cloud wasn't quite sure if the thing posed a threat or if it was violent. He didn't know how it would react to his sudden ambush and at this moment, he didn't really care. When he got close enough to the thing, the being reacted just as Cloud thought it would. It scurried around the corner of the building at an astonishingly fast rate. If Cloud had not been paying attention, Cloud would have been lost as to what direction to turn to.

'What the hell is THAT?' Cloud rounded the corner and continued to chase the thing, which leaped and sprinted its' way down the street, turning down one of the alleys. Cloud followed closely behind the thing, turning down the alley and leaping over a trash can as he had done so. He chased the thing out of the alley and back onto the city street, where he accidentally ran into a woman, who was just as perplexed about the situation as he was. "Sorry!" he called, back continuing to chase the thing down. The thing ducked behind one of the buildings, leaving Cloud to catch up.

When Cloud rounded the corner of the building, he arrived to find nothing. '...What?' Cloud stared puzzled. 'It was right here.' Cloud took a quick look around. He looked down the street, behind him and at the rooftops of the buildings and still, he could not find the thing that had evaded him. Cloud raised a hand to his forehead, to wipe away the sweat that had formed during the tiresome chase.

'Damn. This is gonna be harder than I thought.'

* * *

Barrett, Tifa and Reno had parked the buggy on the outskirts of Kalm. It wasn't too long of a journey, with very minimal interruptions and distractions. They had arrived at Kalm right as the sun began to set, still a decent amount of sunlight reflecting down into the small village.

When she had stepped into Kalm, Tifa realized that the village was exactly as she had remembered it from the many years ago. In reality, not much had changed about the landscape throughout the world, but rather the cities themselves had transformed. Some cities like Junon had improved, others like Midgar had been devastated. Then, there were the small cities and villages like Kalm, cities that remained consistently unchanged for as long as people had known about them.

Tifa walked down the cobblestone paths of the village, admiring the small houses and town buildings that were placed throughout the small town. The houses and buildings were small, but very comfortable and cozy. Each roof of the buildings were fitted with blue and gray shingles that draped down the sides of the triangular rooftops. The city's sidewalks were aligned with flickering lanterns. There was a tall clock tower that remained prominently taller than any of the other buildings. Tifa let out a sigh, walking down the sidewalk. She had always loved Kalm, even though she had only ever been there a few handful of times. It reminded her of some charming, fairytale village.

"Made it." Barrett approached her. "We shouldn't take too long here. This place isn't too big. Just past the village, there is a small marketplace with a buncha shops and stuff, but that's really it."

"Aww, it's too bad. We can't stay longer." Tifa had at least wanted to stay one night,

"Yeah, yeah, but we have to get moving sooner before later. We have a deadline that we gotta meet," Barrett assured her.

She guessed he was right. Besides, after this was all over, she would have many opportunities to return to Kalm. She made a promise to herself that she would take a trip to this town once their mission was completed.

Barrett had led Tifa and Reno through the village, taking a quick walk about the area. There was nothing out of the ordinary about the area. Everything was very pleasant and quaint. "I'm starting to think we're just going to end up running in circles with this mission. We're trying to find a needle in a hay stack here." Reno was puzzled about the premise of the mission. He knew that they were after Jenova, but with no clue on where to go, they didn't have many leads to go off of.

Barrett tried to explain. "Well, if there's anythin' we know, if Jenova's around, things'll get shaken up real quick! Even if she was on the down-low, things will get bad real soon. Like at Shinra Headquarters years ago, the cargo ship at Junon, shit poppin' off the wall all in the Temple of the Ancients and the northern crater." He led the two further throughout the village, examining the small houses that were placed throughout. "If she was here, we'd probably be on to her by now."

"Eh, the guy's probably right." Reno agreed with Barrett's statement after thinking about it for a little bit. "Why would she come to a sleepy, little place like this anyway? Not too much going on around here, I'm afraid."

"I think it'll be like that for a little while. I can't imagine that Jenova would be taking shelter in the chocobo farms we'll be visiting tomorrow, either." Tifa said, peeking around one of the corners of the building, leading towards a marketplace of sorts. The marketplace was fairly empty, even with all of the shops still open for the day. "Hey, since we're here, do we need anything?"

Barrett tried to recall the random items and accessories that he had thrown into the trunk of the buggy. "We got some potions, a few Hi-Potions and maybe a tranquilizer or two. Of course, we have a few camping sets, but nothin' too special."

Tifa took out some cash from her pocket. "Ok, how about we stock up on some items before we head out?"

"Sure," Barrett led the way towards the items shop. "But don't go too crazy, we don't got that much money to be spending."

While the two made their way towards the shop, Reno shouted back behind them. "Don''t worry, I'm on it!"

When Barrett and Tifa had emerged from the store, they had carried out a few bags of extra potions, a few ethers and some other accessories. "Good idea, Tif. We'll need these when we're in those damn fields tomorrow." Barrett remembered the fondness of running into many fiends throughout the fields leading towards Junon. "But I gotta say, I hate the way these things taste!" He shook one of the bottles of ethers, mixing the contents within.

Barrett and Tifa made their way over to Reno, who was standing at the corner of one of the buildings, talking to an unfamiliar girl, who was wearing clothing perhaps two sizes too small and had piled on a mask of make-up. When Reno had spotted the two, he spun around real quickly. "Oh, hey guys! I was just talking to my friend here. Tifa, Barrett...this is...uh...what was your name?"

"I never said it." The girl replied.

"Oh, right...I forgot, you really aren't one for first name introductions, are you?" Barrett and Tifa slowly walked away from the red-headed man. "Well, it was nice meeting you."

When Reno had caught up with Barrett and Tifa, Barrett was leading the way, carrying the bags back towards the buggy, leaving Tifa trailing behind him just a few feet.

"So, what the hell was that?" Tifa questioned the man, unsure of what she had just witnessed.

Reno scratched the back of his head, "Oh, I was just trying to make some money."

Tifa gave the man a puzzled look. "What? That doesn't even make sense. And it's certainly not what it looked like, either!"

"Hey, simmer down. It's no big deal. I just thought that we could use a few extra dollars, so..." Reno didn't even bother to finish his sentence.

Tifa gave a glance back at him. "Well, aren't you full of surprises?"

"Well, I wasn't going to do anything! Don't get me wrong, I'm all for a good time, but it's the charm that reels 'em in." Reno shouted behind Tifa.

'I can't believe I'm even hearing this.' Tifa continued to head towards the outskirts of the village. "Right, of course it is."

Reno raised one of his eye brows and let out a smirk. "Hmm. Jealous?"

Tifa snapped her head back at him. "What!? Jealous over the light prostitution of the drunk guy that comes to my bar? Most definitely." Tifa thought this entire thing was stupid.

"Yeah, yeah, whatever. It's really not like that at all."

"Mhm. I'm pretty sure you've been spotted around the Honey Bee Inn once or twice", Tifa said, giving a disgusted face towards the man. She didn't want to admit it, but she felt that even Reno was above all that. "Come on, Reno!"

"Come on, let's just get going." Reno didn't want to linger on the topic anymore.

Tifa turned around, sending another glare to the man. "Right, when we're on our way towards Jenova, good luck whoring yourself."

* * *

From the aerial view of the Shinra Helicopter, Rufus and the other Turks could spot the Highwind parked along the landing platform of Junon's air base. The Shinra Helicopter descended down onto the landing platform. Once it had landed, Rufus stepped forward, down the landing platform, which was blinking with flashing red runway lights. "Well, this place certainly seems to have improved." Rufus knew that he, along with the entire Shin-Ra Company, played a huge part in the degradation of the city. Shin-Ra had many ties to Junon in the past, very similar to Midgar. Junon had been a base where Shin-Ra had stored many of its' company's vehicles, equipment and military armada. The town had essentially served to Shinra's every whim and had essentially fallen into the palms of Rufus' hands.

Now that the city was repaired and Shinra had fallen, Rufus couldn't help but feel a deep-seated anger grow within him. 'I have to keep up appearances for now.'

Rude approached the man, followed by Elena and Tseng. 'Sir, is this the spot."

"Indeed." Rufus said, approaching the man. "We're here to begin the next part of our mission: the operation of defeating Jenova." Rude, Elena and Tseng looked at Reno, perplexed on how their given location was related to this mission in the least.

Elena voiced her concerns, "But Cloud and his friends...they're also going after Jenova. Reno's with them, too. Wouldn't it make it kind of useless to go after that thing when Cloud's already willing to take it down? It's just more work for us."

Rufus turned around to face the woman, "No. Not useless. Cloud's a valuable chess piece."

The man had led the three off of the landing platform and down into the small building that led the way towards the elevator shaft. Once everyone was inside, the rusty metal elevator began to descend.

"Things are about to change in this world, drastically." Rufus pressed on, piquing the curiosity of his listeners. "When I had heard of Jenova's return, I knew she had to be stopped, or else she would foil my plan; a plan that I have had in the back of my mind for years."

Tseng continued, "Your...plan, sir?"

Rufus persisted, "Yes. When the time came, there was just one person I did not want interfering with this plan. My father."

"And ironically enough, I guess Jenova took care of that", Tseng stated.

"Yes." Rufus let out a low chuckle. "I knew that my father would never adhere to my wishes and when he was killed, things paid off better than I had expected them to."

"Sir, what's the plan?" Tseng stated again, irritation and annoyance relevant in his voice.

"We will take part in saving the planet, we will defeat Jenova, we will make Cloud out to be the hero...and I will get everything that I want."

Rude questioned him, "And what's that?"

"Power." The team looked at him confused. For a while, the Turks had been taken out of the business of doing dirty work and to be honest, they didn't really mind. But now that Rufus was talking about secret plans and power again, it made them feel as if the same cycle of mistakes were repeating from years prior. "The power to completely change the world through the new Shinra Company."

If they didn't have their doubts before, Rufus had just solidified their worries.

"My father swore by the power of Mako energy and had wanted to harness its' power to completely control Midgar, the people and the energy's control over the planet. It did not work out as he expected it to. The people had turned on him and the entire company. I had to be delicate in this next phase."

The group stepped out of the elevator and into the harbor of Junon, where Rufus had continued. "I want something more powerful than Mako. Something strong enough that could restore and contain the entire life force of the planet. When Jenova is defeated, I will use the powers of the Lifestream to completely restore the Shinra Company."

"Sir..." Elena talked, concern and intimidation in her voice, "wouldn't that just be following in your father's footsteps?"

"Which is exactly why we aren't telling anyone about our mission. Their loyalties lie with us. If they were to find out about any of my true intentions, well, they would not be so quick to assist us in defeating Jenova."

Rufus walked off to the side of the harbor and pulled open a latch, which led down into another shaft. The shaft eventually led out into the underwater reactor, a reactor built at the base of the ocean depths of Junon. Tseng questioned the man, "Sir, why down here of all places?"

"This reactor will commence the start of Jenova's demise. Though, we won't be going alone." The team looked at each other, perplexed. "I have arranged a meeting with two of our former...'associates'. They are already waiting for us by the submarine dock. Their assistance with us will be helpful, although their knowledge of my plans are slim."

Elena hated the sound of all of this. So many secrets, lies and deceptions. She had wanted to get out of this business for a while and Rufus' words only wanted her to pursue that even more. "Sir, who's down there? Why are they willing to help if they are not even entirely knowledgeable of your plans?"

"They have faced Jenova before and are willing to do it again, that much is clear," Rufus confirmed. "Any talk of the restoration of the Shinra Company, however, and we'd lose their trust, as well."

The group had made their way down the safety latch and entered into a corridor of glass walled panels that looked out into the ocean. It was almost too dark to see anything deep within the tunnels, though small fish and coral could be made out just on the sides of the glass. The group continued down the passage, leading towards the submarine dock.

"And we'll be taking one of the company's stored submarines out?" Tseng questioned.

"Yes. We need it to get to a specific, annoying location. The Gelnika." Rufus confirmed.

"Sir, why would we be going there? That sub sunk years ago. There must be very little to claim of it," Tseng continued to question Rufus' plan, still unsure of the whole meaning behind his plot.

"That very submarine holds a great secret, a very powerful weapon that will help us in our battle against Jenova. My father placed it there for safe-keeping many years ago." Rufus continued.

"Once we have salvaged that weapon, we can use it to create a large enough wound in this planet that it will force the Lifestream to come forth to heal itself. We will claim that Lifestream's power as our own and re-create the Shinra Company with it."

Elena remained perplexed by one thing. " How is this going to help us stop Jenova, though?"

Rufus smiled, "The wound that this weapon will create will scar the spot of the entire existence of Jenova. We are going to use this weapon to destroy the Northern Continent."

* * *

After driving for about an hour or two, Barrett, Tifa and Reno had decided to set up camp in one of the peaceful grass plains that wrapped through a mountainous range. After they had set up their camping tents and started a fire, Barrett had decided to head in for the evening, leaving Tifa and Reno outside.

"Hey..." Reno said quietly, breaking the silence that seemed to last forever. "I'm sorry about earlier. I didn't really mean for things to come across as they did."

Tifa sighed. "Yeah, I'm sorry for what I said, too. I shouldn't have been so...concerned, I guess." As Tifa said this, she felt confused as to why she was saying it. It was Reno. She was never really concerned with him to begin with, so why now? She had no reason to be. She was barely able to stand him and now she was concerned about him?

"Don't be concerned, I'm a big boy. I can handle this stuff by myself."

"And there you go with your "charming" attitude again." Tifa laughed to herself, as she covered her hands with her mouth.

"Hey! That's not cool." Reno laid his back on the grass, looking at the star-filled sky. "You know, a lot of the time, I just pretend to be cool and confident, but I have feelings, too..."

There was a moment of silence before Tifa burst into another fit of giggles, leaving Reno to simply roll her eyes.

After Tifa had regained her composure, she straightened, "Yeah, I understand though. I...sort of used to do the same thing."

Reno knew, "With Cloud, huh?"

Tifa nodded her head. "Yeah. It's just strange, the way everything's happened between us. We've known each other for years, ever since we were kids, but back then, we weren't even close."

Reno sat, intently listening to Tifa's words. She continued, "I remember, when Cloud wanted to go off to join the army, that was the first time I ever really spoke to him...and I think that's when I started to like him." Tifa brought her knees up to her chest, "Well, at least the idea of him. I always dreamed of having a knight in shining armor, a hero who would save me. I think I liked the idea of Cloud being the hero to save me, instead of him just being who he was."

"Well, that's every girl's dream," Reno interjected.

"Yeah, but I made Cloud promise me to become my hero and save me if I was ever in trouble." Tifa signed, "It wasn't really even genuine. When I was younger, I thought it was a cute idea, but now...I just feel stupid, like I based the two of us off that one promise..."

"It's not stupid." Reno tried to persuade her.

"No. I knew that Cloud liked me when we were younger, but I never even gave him a chance. I was too busy with my other friends who...I don't even talk to them anymore." Reno sat there and nodded, understanding the scenario.

"Then, when Cloud came back years later, he helped me after Sephiroth had hurt me pretty badly." Tifa closed her eyes, remembering it as if it were days ago. "I felt like for the first time ever, Cloud and I were actually close, maybe with the possibility of even being something more than that. I think it was then that I realized that I -" Tifa stopped suddenly.

Reno understood what she was saying and finished for her. "You loved him."

Tifa gave a simple and reserved nod. "I did, but then we grew apart again and we both changed again. I think we both grew up. We became different people and we grew apart from one another. When we met back up together again, at that time, we were two completely different people than we remembered each other to be. And then that's when Aerith came."

"...Aerith?"

"Yeah."

"Ooh, sounds like a catfight coming..."

"Reno, stop!" Tifa chastised him. "It wasn't even like that. I loved Aerith. To be honest, I think she was one of the first real girl friends that I had. Though, we were good friends, I couldn't help but feel jealous of her."

Tifa felt a twinge or remorse welling up inside of her to think like this. "Sure, I had feelings for Cloud, but we weren't together, so I really had no right to not like her. She was just a great person to get along with, she made it so easy for Cloud to open up to her...it's no wonder they became as close as they did. She was beautiful, smart, outgoing, she raised everyone's spirits without even trying. You couldn't not like that girl."

Tifa's expression saddened, "Though, it wasn't until her death when I realized how much she had meant to Cloud, and to all of us, really. I remember looking at his face while we were at Icicle Inn and he just seemed...broken. I think that's when I knew that Aerith had that space in Cloud's heart. He became an entirely different person around her and it was actually good to see. Then when she left us, I know that Cloud felt empty and hurt." Tifa let out another sigh.

"When our mission with Sephiroth was done, I think that's when my feelings for Cloud started to weaken. Sure, Cloud and I lived together with Barrett, but it's pretty clear that we are just close friends...best friends. I will always care and want what is best for Cloud, but I'm content with knowing that the two of us won't be together, you know? I thought it was pointless to continue thinking of Cloud as anything more than a friend. I gave up."

Tifa felt her eyes well up with tears. Before Reno could interject, Tifa stopped him again. "No! You have to understand! I'm fine with...not having a hero to save me. I'm fine...with the bond that Aerith had with Cloud. Really, I'm fine with all of it." Tifa choked out between sobs. "I just feel terrible. I feel like an awful friend. To Cloud, Aerith, everybody. It hurt for me to see Cloud and Aerith together when she was alive and now that she's gone,...it makes me feel immature and childish to have ever thought of the two if them like that to begin with. When she died, I lost a close friend...and I should have done something to stop her from leaving us"

Reno stared at her, "What could you have done? People can't stop the things that they don't know are coming."

Tifa felt tears falling from her face, as her lips began to tremble. "Umm...I...I never told this to anyone. I made a promise not to. Just promise me, you won't tell anyone..."

Reno gave Tifa his word.

_Aerith had made her way out of the village of Gongaga, with her iron staff in hand. Barrett had just carried Cloud's body into one of the nearby village huts, waiting for the man to recover. As Aerith made her way out of the village, Tifa caught sight of the young woman making her way for the village's border. Tifa ran after the woman._

_"Aerith!"_

_The young woman turned around to spot Tifa chasing after her. Aerith quickly made a sprint out of the village, racing down the dirt tracks leading towards the forest. Aerith ran as fast as her feet could travel, but Tifa was determined on catching up with the flower girl._

_"Aerith! Stop!" When Aerith had finally skidded to a halt, she turned around to face Tifa, who was gasping for air._

_"Where are you going!?"_

_"I'm...I'm leaving."_

_"What!? Aerith, why? I mean, you can't. We're supposed to finish this together." Tifa tried to persuade her._

_"Tifa, please! I really don't have the time. I have to go!" Aerith tried to pull her arm away from Tifa, but Tifa's grip remained intact._

_"Go where? Why can't you tell me?" Tifa asked, concern in her voice._

_"I'm just...heading to the northern continent to take care of some personal matters." Tifa did not sound at all convinced by Aerith. "I have to take care of this myself. Please, Tifa! Let me go. Please, promise me you won't tell the others."_

_"Aerith, no!" It wasn't until then when she felt her stomach drop. It was Aerith's words that scared her the most. She didn't want the others to know, it was dangerous for them to come. Wherever Aerith was going, it wasn't going to be good and she could only imagine what would happen._

_Aerith stood there, throwing her hands down at her sides, stubbornly. "Just let me go! Why are you making this so difficult?!"_

_Tifa gasped, "Because you're my friend." Tifa felt the tears falling down her face. She lifted up her hands to wipe away her eyes. "I don't want to see you get hurt. I don't want to see you go off by yourself, Aerith."_

_Aerith wrapped her arms around the woman, allowing Tifa to cry into her. "I know..."_

_"You're one of the closest friends I've had."_

_"Tifa, please. I have to leave now." Aerith wiped away a few of the tears from Tifa's face. "Don't worry...I'll be ok. Really. Please, Tifa. Just promise me you won't tell the others. Please."_

_Tifa nodded. Aerith turned around to walk away, before Tifa wrapped her arms around Aerith again. The sudden grip caused Aerith to give out a light yelp, before smiling and returning the embrace to the woman._

_"Come back safe."_

_The moment Aerith had turned around and continued down the forest trail, Tifa felt that she had made one of the biggest mistakes of her life._

"You knew that she...?" Reno questioned.

"No! I didn't know that she was going to die! If I did, I would have dragged her by her hair all the way back to the village! I could have never expected any of that to happen. Which is why when it did, it devastated all of us."

Reno nodded, as she continued her story.

"When I saw Cloud's determination to kill Sephiroth, I knew that it was because of the way he felt towards Aerith. At first it hurt to see him so strongly act out on his feelings, but I accepted it and actually felt proud of him. I'm happy about what they shared, you know? When you find someone special to you, it's important not to lose them. I think, if anything, that's the lesson that Cloud has taught me."

Tifa fell on her back, gazing at the stars. "I can only hope that I'll find my special bond with someone, someday, too."

Reno just sat there and stared at Tifa, feeling as if the wind was just knocked out of him "...So, is that all you have to say?"

Tifa shot up, "Oh, shut up! The first time I open up about my feelings and my life and of course, you would be that one that I tell it to!"

The two let out a few fits of giggles, as Barrett's loud snoring still echoed in the background.

"Hey, thanks for listening. Just promise me that you won't tell anyone anything I told you tonight, please."

"My lips are sealed. You do feel better though, right?"

"Yeah, it felt good to get alot of that out. I've been keeping it pent up inside for a while, you know?" Tifa let out a sigh, "I just hope that I could look back on my life one day and say that I was actually proud of the person I was..."

Reno got up and made his way over to his tent. "Well, if you could see yourself the way that I see you right now, you wouldn't have anything to worry about."

Tifa turned around to stare at him for a moment, slightly taken off-guard. She smiled, "Thank you. That was surprising, but was really nice to hear."

Reno let out a laugh, "Eh, I still got a few surprises in me." He got into his tent and zipped up the flap.

Tifa turned away from his tent and looked back at the slowly extinguishing fire. 'Hmm. Maybe he does.'


	6. The Price of Freedom

**Chapter 6 - The Price of Freedom**

_The Sector Seven city streets of Midgar had become quiet, as the late afternoon began to move in. Not too many people were wandering about the streets and the sector had been fairly quiet throughout most of the day._

_Denzel made his way down the stairs of his home to find his father at his office desk, surrounded by piles of paperwork. His father had held a good position with the Shinra Company and was able to give his family a better off life than most of the people in Midgar would have ordinarily had. Denzel had lived in a better house than most would in the city, he had lived in a better part of the town, his family had more money to spend, but Denzel had felt that his father would become too invested in his work at times._

_Denzel approached his father. "Father." Denzel's father remained frantically examining the files on his desk. When Denzel's attempts to pull his father's focus seemed to fail, Denzel felt a temper rise up within him. "Father!" he shouted, raising his voice a little._

_Denzel's father was snapped from his work and shot a look at Denzel. "What Denzel? I'm very busy. I have to finish this work by tonight!"_

_Denzel seemed agitated, "You're always working! I wanted to go outside." Denzel was not at an age yet where his parents allowed him to do as he wished. He was seven, maybe eight years old, and in a city like Midgar, parents knew that the streets were dangerous; they had to keep an eye on their children._

_"Denzel, please. I just have to finish this first and then I promise I will take you out tomorrow." Denzel's father shot him a promising look, one that Denzel saw right through. He had heard that promise many times before, but every time tomorrow came, his father would always find himself with more work to do and he was starting to get fed up with it. Denzel threw his hands down, frustrated. Denzel knew that his parents had loved him, but their busy lives always seemed to come in the way. His father was always working and his mother was always doing chores around the house or going to the market; they had always kept up a busy life and it was starting to affect the young boy._

_Denzel decided that he was going to run away, maybe that will make his parents miss him and pay him some more attention. Denzel ran up to his room, got a small bag and packed it with all sorts of things that he thought were necessary. He quietly made his way back down the stairs and headed towards the front door of the house. He quietly opened the front door, before proceeding out of the house, shutting the door behind him. As soon as he was free, Denzel made a sprint down the street, running faster than his feet could carry him._

_It wasn't until he reached the end of the street when he realized that he didn't exactly know what he was doing. He didn't have any place to go and he didn't know the streets very well to have any sense of direction throughout the area. He slowed his run to a slow walk, walking around the corner of one of the buildings and entering it into an alleyway. 'I wonder if dad knows that I'm gone...probably not.'_

_When he had continued down the alley, he suddenly realized that this may not have been the best idea. As he made his way down the passage, he passed by one or two drunkards and a homeless man, all that seemed to eye the young boy as he passed. He tried to not make eye contact with them, but it was hard to do so by the way they were eyeing him down. He had never encountered people like this before, not that he ever wanted to in the first place._

_Denzel continued on until he reached the opposite side of the alley, entering onto another empty street. Denzel decided that this idea was stupid, his parents probably weren't even going to notice that had run away, regardless. He started to make his way back towards his house when he had felt a hand on his shoulder. Denzel turned around to spot one of the drunken men that he had passed moments earlier in the alley. The man smelled awful, his clothes were worn out, he had a gnarly beard that matched the color of his dark eyes._

_"Hey there, little boy. Y-you lost?"_

_Denzel felt scared, but he knew that he had to stand his ground. "N-no. I'm going home."_

_Denzel had turned around and tried to make his way back towards his home, but he was stopped again by the man. He was starting to get annoyed and terrified around this man._

_"Wait, going so soon?" The drunken man stumbled after the boy, holding onto his arm._

_"Yes! Now please let me go! NOW!" Denzel shouted, hoping that his yelling would garner the attention from someone nearby._

_The drunken man laughed, "I don't t-think s-so."_

_It was then that Denzel decided to kick the man in-between his legs, as the man let out a brutal grunt, clutching the pain that had developed. Denzel decided to make a run for it, running down the street, followed closely by the drunken man. Denzel continued to run forward, accidentally tripping over the sidewalk and falling flat down. He could sense the drunken man coming behind him. When he had turned around, he saw the drunk man reaching into his pocket, pulling out a switch blade._

_"Help! Someone help me, please!" If he was not terrified before, that had done it for him. He started gasping nervously, as he felt his eyes water, watching the man approach him with the blade._

_"Stop!" Denzel heard a voice shout from behind the drunken man. He turned his head to see the voice, coming from a younger woman. The drunken man turned his head to spot the young woman, upset by her sudden presence._

_"Get the hell outta here!" The drunken man turned away from the woman and proceeded back to approaching Denzel._

_"I said stop!" the younger woman said more firmly this time, approaching the drunken man._

_"I said get the hell outta here, bitch!" The drunken man pushed the woman back, as an angered, infuriated expression appeared on her face. The man turned back to Denzel, approaching him further, as his fear and terror grew. All of a sudden, he heard a loud "clank", as the drunken man impulsed forward, clutching his head, collapsing to the ground, unconscious. When the man fell, Denzel could see the woman standing there, holding a metal rod in her hands._

_The woman rushed over to Denzel, helping him off of the floor. "It's ok, dear. You're safe."_

_Denzel just stood there with a shocked and terrified expression on his face. The woman brushed the dirt off of his shoulders. "Are you alright?"_

_"I'm fine." Denzel heard his voice shake. "But I'll never leave my house again!"_

_The woman laughed at the young boy, "Nonsense. Next time, just make sure that your parents are with you, ok?" The young woman patted the boy on his head, ruffling up his hair. "Are you on your way back home?"_

_Denzel gave a nod to the woman._

_"Alright, how about I walk you there?"_

_"Thank you. You-you saved my life." Denzel wrapped her arms around the woman and smiled. "My name's Denzel."_

_The woman returned the hug to the young boy. "It's nice to meet you, Denzel. I'm Aerith."_

* * *

"Aerith."

Aerith was snapped out of her thoughts, when she saw her mother approach her. "Hi, mom." Her mother was a beautiful, intelligent woman, who bore an uncanny resemblance to Aerith. She, like her daughter, was a Cetra.

"Are you ok, dear?" Ifalna approached her daughter with a worried look on her face, grasping her daughter's cheeks in her palms.

"Yes, I'm fine. Everything's fine." Aerith released a small smile. She loved it when she her mother made sure to take care of her. Aerith could definitely take care of herself and others, as well. She had done it her whole life, but there were times when there was nothing better than having someone that could take care of her in return.

The two were in the Lifestream, the life source of the entire planet. When a human, an animal or any living thing dies, their life, their energy returns to the planet and their soul is sent to Lifestream, where it remains. They weren't spirits or ghosts, rather than were energies that lived in an otherworldly setting.

There was not too much of a difference between the world of the living and the Lifestream. Aerith and Ifalna both knew that death did not mean the end of life, but it was still strange for Aerith to see life from the opposing side. In the Lifestream, people still had emotions and feelings, they could even see into the living world, although it required a lot of power to do so.

The one thing that people of the Lifestream had to do however, was leave behind all of their ties back to the living world; their families, their friends, their possessions, all of their loved ones and things. It was something that wasn't very easy for anyone.

The Lifestream was a place where pain and suffering only existed in the presence of having to leave behind the people and things that you loved. Aerith knew that all too well, as did her mother. When Ifalna had died seventeen years beforehand, after escaping Shinra Headquarters with Aerith, she had given her young daughter to Elmyra, who had promised to take care of her from there. They had spent the next fifteen years apart, until Aerith had returned to the Lifestream and reunited with her mother and father.

"Alright, dear. I'm just making sure. I want you to be happy." Ifalna could sense when Aerith was feeling a bit down, it was recognizable on her face. Even after the many years apart from one another, Ifalna still found it easy to know and understand her daughter. Time may have both of them away from one another for many years, but Ifalna still knew her daughter better than anyone.

"Thanks, mom."

"You're father, too. After all that we've been through, alone, together, we're a family now. That's what's important. We have some time to make up together."

She instantly recognized her mother when Aerith had spent her first day in the Lifestream, not looking a day older than she had the last time that she saw her. Her father, on the other hand, she did not know, he died at the hands of Professor Hojo when she was only a few weeks old. Her father, Gast, was an attractive looking man, with a confident smile. She could remember the first time that she had met her father when she had come here. It was the first time that she felt like she had a father and all she could do was cry.

Her father apologized for leaving her so soon and getting their family all wrapped up in this. It didn't matter to Aerith anymore though. She was here, they had a new life together. They were finally back together again as a family.

"I know, mom. Nothing's more important than family." Aerith gave a smile.

She, too, was happy to be back with her family. Over the past two years, she had grown closer to her parents, forming an actual established relationship with them, one that she was painfully stripped from when she was only a child.

"Are you sure you're alright, honey? What's wrong" Her mother was always so kind and concerning of others, Aerith could tell where she, herself, got it from. It also somewhat annoyed Aerith that her mother was just as good at seeing through people's masked appearances as she was.

"It's just...", Aerith started, "everything that's happening with Jenova back in the world, it's frustrating. I wish I could do something to help, mom."

"I know, dear. I understand that it's difficult to have to watch your friends go through all of this all over again." When it was confirmed that Jenova had returned to earth and her cells had regenerated, it caused an uproar within the Lifestream, mainly from the Cetra. Aerith knew that Cloud and the others would be off to fight her again, as much as she didn't want them to.

"It's not just that, though." Aerith continued, "When I died, I thought I would be doing the right thing by putting a stop to all of this...but...if she keeps returning, what was the point at all?"

"Aerith, please. You can't think like that." Ifalna placed her hands on her daughter's shoulders. "You did the bravest thing anyone could have done. There is no amount of gratitude that could ever be shown to express what you did for everyone, the entire planet." Ifalna comforted her daughter. "You did the greatest of all things and we couldn't be more proud. Don't let anyone ever tell you otherwise. Things will be ok, they'll fix this."

Aerith smiled, "Thanks mom." Aerith's mother had always brought a smile to her face. She always knew the exact, right thing to say.

Aerith had left her mother and proceeded to a different part of the Lifestream. The Lifestream was a wondrous, natural environment. There was a certain majestic beauty, almost mystery about the place. There were mountainous ranges, oceans, fields and valleys, where people had come to create their own lives after their initial life on earth. It was otherworldly and yet, very realistic at once.

Aerith continued her trail down the road, which seemed to travel along a rolling hill, before dropping off into a steep valley. The place was truly beautiful, unlike anything that she had seen before.

"Hey there!" she heard someone shout from behind her.

She turned around to spot Zack, who was running to catch up with her. She smiled at the man. "How have you been?"

She and Zack had dated once before, a couple of years ago. It was nothing too serious, but they had liked each other a lot. To Aerith, it was a first taste of love; the experience of getting acquainted with those feelings, but never getting too seriously invested in them. When Zack and Aerith both came to the Lifestream, they instantly re-kindled, but it was not the same. Years had passed since they last saw one another, and much like Cloud and Tifa, they, too, had become different people than what they once recognized one another to be.

Zack agreed with her, making light-hearted conversation about the topic. Aerith smiled when she remembered the line that Zack fed her. "We are dead. So is our relationship." They had a good laugh at that one for a while. He was never one to hold a grudge or become angry, he simply understood. He was the closest friend that she had in the Lifestream and it was a friendship that she did not want to lose.

Zack continued, "Not too bad. Just got up from resting."

"You're always resting!" The brunette joked. It was common for people of the Lifestream, the Cetra aside, to spend most of their time sleeping.

Aerith saw a lot of Zack in Cloud and initially, that's what drew her to Cloud. There was a sense of mystery, yet familiarity in him that she wanted to unlock. It wasn't until after some time when she realized that Cloud wasn't entirely himself and that these two men were entirely different people and she liked that.

By that point, she liked what she saw in Cloud, being fully aware that he was not the same person as Zack. 'He just needed a small push in the right direction,' she thought to herself.

"Where are you off to today?" Zack said, approaching the woman.

"Nowhere in particular, just taking a walk around. Getting some exercise." Aerith glanced back over to the man.

"I gotcha." Zack took a look at Aerith, who seemed to have a mixed expression on her face. "You hear about everything that's happening back there?"

"Yeah." Aerith stated, simply. Aerith knew that she was certainly in no physical danger because of Jenova's appearance, but she couldn't help but think, if Jenova was to destroy the planet, what was to happen to this place and to them?

"Cloud and the others are already on their way to fight her." She knew that once he found out, he would be wrapped up in a new journey to rescue the world, again. She felt that it was unfair, but had faith that Cloud would offer assistance, regardless. She had decided not to go see Cloud the other day, even though she knew that he would be leaving for some time. She had felt guilty since then, but had thought that it was for the better.

"Of course he would be. Did we ever have any doubt?"

Aerith let out a small laugh, 'Nope."

"He's a real hero, Aerith. He's got this."

"You're right." Aerith did not doubt Cloud for a moment. "I ...want to do something for them, too. It's not right that they have to fight this by themselves all over again. I was a part of the team, too!"

"Well, what can you do here?"

"I don't know. We're certainly more...limited. I just have to think of something to do."

Zack raised his eyebrows at Aerith's word. 'Limited'. There wasn't a lot that could be done, but there was still hope that something _could_ be done. Even in death, Zack admired that Aerith still wanted to do something to help.

Aerith took a seat at the edge of the field.

"So, why didn't you go see Cloudy-boy the other day?"

Aerith snapped her head back at the man, a surprised expression on her face. "Are you spying on me now?"

"Maybe so. It definitely kills more time than hanging with the other dead-beats around here. No pun intended."

Aerith signed, "I don't know. I just feel...it's difficult. I wasn't really sure if seeing me was helping."

Zack gave her a perplexed expression. "Avoiding a guy who drives an hour to some flower field is the right thing to do?"

"Zack, there's more to it than just that." Aerith continued, "I could tell that he's better when he sees me, but he also...looks so hurt and sad. As if he thinks that I blame him for everything that's happened when that isn't the case at all." Aerith gave a serious look to Zack. "I don't want him to feel that way. I guess I really don't know how to deal with it just yet."

Zack agreed. "Yeah, that's pretty rough. I guess it's not that easy, after all, huh?"

Aerith nodded.

"Well, if there's anyone who can fix this, it's you, Aerith. You got a better head on your shoulders than half the people in this place. Just keep searching and you'll find a way to make things better."

"Thanks, Zack." Aerith knew that Zack's words were true. Aerith knew that he was a great friend and structure for support, aside from her parents. "You're right. I'm sure I'll find a way.

* * *

Rufus led Rude, Elena and Tseng further down the trail, leading them to the metal door that opened to the submarine bay at the base of the underwater reactor.

"Our associates are already here now. Just remember to keep things in your pocket for the time being. We do not want any slip-ups this time."

Rufus pressed one of the operational buttons on a computer panel to the side of the door, causing the latch to open. He was the first to step inside, followed by the others. Several submarines were docked along the loading platform. From the looks of things, they had not been utilized in years, but Rufus was more than willing to believe that they still worked fine.

"Well, it's good to see you looking more like yourself, Reeve." Rufus approached the well-dressed man who sat by one of the submarines. "I'm glad to see you're finally done playing with your stuffed toys."

"I'm not here to re-live the past." Reeve explained, "I'm here to offer my assistance again."

Rufus smiled at the man, "Then, I guess you re-considered my offer?"

"Yes, as long as you make it worth my while."

Rufus finished his negotiations. "Very well. We'll defeat Jenova and you'll have your money. What about the other one. Where is he?"

"Right here." Everyone in the room directed their attention to a voice that came from the shadows. The red-caped figure stepped from within the shadows, slicking his thin, black hair behind his shoulder.

"Vincent. I don't believe we've ever worked with one another before. It's good to see you, too."

Vincent stood there and looked at the man, his expression not changing.

Rufus felt slightly unnerved by the man's motionless stature. "And what is it that you want?"

Vincent looked down and closed his eyes, as if he was thinking, before looking back up at them. "Repentance...and revenge."

"Hmph. Very well, we'll just have to see what we can do about that." Rufus led the small group over to one of the submarine vehicles.

"Rufus, how about you catch up with the others while I power this thing up?" Tseng stated, before lifting up the submarine's door, twisting the lever and pulling it open. He disappeared inside of the submarine moments later.

Rufus turned back around to face the group, directly speaking towards Reeve and Vincent. "You're here to help us stop Jenova from destroying this world. It's not going to be an easy task, which is why we are trying to fill as many positions as possible." Rufus turned his back on them. "Even Cloud and his friends are fighting."

"Cloud's fighting, too?" Reeve raised the question.

"Yes." Vincent answered, silently. "I believe I might have come across him earlier last night."

"Jenova is a very powerful creature. I believe you've seen one she can do?" Rufus smiled as he watched the two men nod. "Her cells festering in the northern crater are the reason why she is so adept at returning. If we destroy that crater, well, we'd destroy her cells. It's unlikely we'd see her return again."

"Then, all we'd have to do is take her down one last time," Rude confirmed.

"Precisely. We are taking one of these submarines down to the Gelnika. My father placed a weapon down there years ago. Once that will not just destroy that crater, but most of the Northern Continent."

"What's down there, sir?" Elena voiced her concern.

"A very strong and powerful materia. Just what we'll need for taking her down."

"What about all of those people on that continent then?"

"A casualty or two is no big deal, right?"

Reeve stood up to the man, "Rufus, you stated very specifically that this mission was only meant to take down Jenova! If innocent victims were to be hurt by this, I am not willing to stand by!"

Rufus smiled and laughed, "Relax, Reeve. It was a joke." Rufus turned to the side. 'This is going to be harder than I thought.' "Most of the continent consists of forests and mountains, regardless. We'll evacuate the Bone Village and Icicle Inn and then, leave the rest to the materia."

Rufus turned around and faced the submarine.

"Now, then. Let's see what this thing can do." Rufus had led the group into the submarine, leading them down through the door, before sealing off the valve. Rufus and the Turks had taken positions all throughout the the room.

"Set the coordinates and prepare the motor. We have a materia to find."

* * *

Barrett, Tifa and Reno had woken up earlier in the morning to get an early start on their day. The already knew that they were going to spend the majority of the day walking through the endless, rolling chocobo fields. It wasn't very likely they were going to find anything anyway. They had planned on camping out just before reaching the Mythril Mines and then were going to spend the entire following day making their way to Junon by nightfall.

Tifa was in the process of packing up her things, letting out a small, sleepy yawn. She had looked in the compact mirror that she kept in one her bags and saw the sleepy circles under her eyes. Her hair didn't seem to help her appearance, either. 'Oh, great. At least I won't be seeing anyone today.'

"Morning, beautiful." Reno chirped, almost sarcastically.

Tifa didn't know if he was being serious or was just joking around. She decided on the latter. "Morning." She continued to pack up her belongings, taking down her tent.

"Sleep well?"

"Not really. I must have been sleeping in a bad position. My neck is killing me." Tifa said, almost too focused on her smaller tasks to uphold her end of the conversation.

"Mine too! Maybe I can get you to massage it during our long car ride today?" Reno said with a suggestive wink.

'What's he getting at? Why does he have to be so immature?' Tifa rolled her eyes and decided just to play along. She was starting to get tired of Reno's innuendo and double entendre. "That sounds so tempting, but I think I'll pass."

"Man, well, at least a guy had to ask!" Reno stood around for a moment. "So, what's our itinerary for the day?"

"Well, we're heading out now. From here, we'll cross the chocobo fields and maybe make it to Mythril Mine by the afternoon. I think Barrett wants to camp out tonight somewhere by Fort Condor."

"Well, that sounds...bland."

Reno saw Tifa struggle a bit taking down her tent. "Here, let me help out." Reno went to finish taking down her tent, packing it nicely for her, before placing it, along with a few of her belongings in the trunk of the buggy.

'Ok, so he's not completely immature.' Tifa walked over to him. "Thanks." She gave him a quick smile. "And...thanks for also staying up to talk to me last night. No one's ever really been so intent to listen to me like that." Tifa paused for a moment. "I...really appreciate it. I feel a lot better about a lot of things today."

Reno flashed her a small, cocky grin. "Well, ...don't mention it. I was glad I could help."

Reno and Tifa smiled at each other for a second.

"Hey, you two slow-asses! Let's get a move on or we gonna be late!" Barrett shouted at the two of them, startling them for a moment. "I didn't wake up at the crack-ass of fawn for nuthin'!"

Reno ran his hand through his red hair. "All right, all right, let's head out and catch some chocobos!"

* * *

Marlene stared out the window, looking down at the streets of Edge. She soon heard footsteps coming up from behind her. "Here you go, dears. I made you some cookies." Elmyra stated, followed into the room by Denzel.

"Thank you, Aunt Elmyra!" The little girl ran up to hug the older woman's legs, Elmyra letting out a small laugh as she did so.

"Of course, sweetheart." Elmyra wanted to do the best that she could in this situation. With Marlene being separated from her father again and Denzel being bounced around his whole life, she wanted to be as motherly and supportive as she could be. She wanted to make their stay with her a pleasant, enjoyable one. "I thought we could go to the park later on, if you'd want?"

Marlene and Denzel seemed very excited about the idea. The chance to get out and play with the other kids of the neighborhood was just what they needed to lift their spirits.

"Alright, dears. If you need anything else, I'll be downstairs. Just let me know."

Elmyra quietly crept her way down the stairs. She was happy to be taking care of the kids. She loved looking after Marlene years ago. 'She's such a sweet girl. I didn't think I would see her again after all of that, though.' Elmyra stopped for a moment. 'I didn't think I'd see him again, either, though...'

_Aerith made her way down the street, with Denzel by her side. It had been a week since they first met and the two had come across each other nearly every day._

_"I like hanging out with you, Aerith. You're really nice." Denzel stated, admiring the flowers that Aerith was going through._

_"Thanks, Denzel. You too." Aerith smiled, leading the young boy into the flower garden that she was tending to on the side of her home. "Out of all of the kids that I've met in the city, I think you might be my favorite."_

_Denzel blushed at Aerith, as the flower girl let out a small giggle. "Are you sure your parents don't care about you coming all the way out here?"_

_"Nope. They trust you." Denzel smiled at the woman._

_"Good, I'm glad." Aerith smiled at the young boy, ruffling his hair. "Just as long as it's okay with them." Aerith saw her mother enter into the house and gave her a small wave as she did so._

_"Your mom's also really nice, too."_

_Aerith smiled, "She is. She took me in when I was just a kid and has been a great mother to me ever since. She always wants what's best for me." Aerith looked at Denzel, "There's nothing more important than family."_

_"I bet you'll be a great mom like her one day."_

_Aerith smiled and laughed at the young boy. On the outside, her smile was beaming, but inside, she felt like this was one of the most meaningful things anyone had ever said to her. "Thank you, Denzel. I hope to."_

_"You're really pretty. I bet you could have any boy in the city if you wanted to."_

_Aerith let out a quiet laugh, which was then followed by a sigh. "Well, it's sort of hard in this city. My last relationship didn't go too well. Love is sort of hard to come across around here." Aerith tried to explain in a way that Denzel would understand, a way that would not hurt him or make him feel that love does not exist._

_"Yeah, maybe..."_

_"I guess I can't expect it to fall right out of the sky, right?" Aerith and Denzel let out another laugh. "Oh, I'll be late to getting to the church! We'd better get you back home, kid."_

_Aerith had walked Denzel back to his home in Sector Seven. The walk wasn't too far. Aerith would typically take a walk up to Green Park every day anyway to sell flowers to the kids who were playing. She would usually run across Denzel while she was there, too. She promised him that she would come se him th next day._

_Aerith quickly retraced her steps, walking back through the slums, heading towards the church. When she arrived, she pushed the large wooden doors open and stepped inside._

_As her feet traveled across the wooden floor, her footsteps echoed across the tall ceilings, as she walked down the center aisle, focused on the flower bed that was off in the center of the church. The sunlight was reflecting across the flower bed, casting a mystical glow throughout the church. Aerith bent down to trace one of the flowers with her hand, admiring the many different colors and types of flowers._

_Aerith looked up for a moment. 'What...?' She could have sworn she heard something. For a moment, she went back to admiring the flowers. Then, she heard it again, but this louder. It sounded...almost like an explosion of sorts. She looked around for a moment, unclear of where the source of the noise was coming from. When she looked up, she saw a blonde-haired man fall through the roof of the church._

* * *

Cloud opened his eyes, as the bright sunlight peaked through the windows of the hotel room. He sat up in bed, scratching his head as he had done so. 'Man, yesterday was a bust.'

He recalled the previous night that he had. He came across that thing in the city streets of Junon, but then lost track of it. He had no idea what that thing was to begin with, or if it was even related to Jenova. After spending another hour or two of searching throughout the city, Cloud deemed that it was almost pointless. The city was too big for just himself to cover and whatever that "thing" was, it wasn't appearing again anytime soon.

Cloud got up off the bed and headed towards the bathroom. Inside, he looked at the mirror and saw that his spiky hair had now fallen flat in front of his face. He stretched out his arms and let out a yawn. He had surprisingly had a good night of sleep and felt great in the morning. He rubbed his eyes, before taking a look outside of the bathroom window. It was a beautiful, sunny day. The beach was just outside of the inn. Cloud watched as the ocean's waves lapped up against the white sands of the beach, reflecting against the sun's rays.

'I should try and at least relax a little.' Cloud thought to himself. Then, his thoughts faltered. 'No, you're here to do an important job. Focus!' Cloud took another look outside of the window, down towards the beach. '...what the hell. I've worked hard enough to earn an morning off. I've earned it.'

Cloud lifted up his shirt and changed into one of the pairs of shorts that he had brought with him. Before leaving, he took one of the towels hanging in the bathroom, before making his way down the stone steps that led from the courtyard of the hotel towards the beach.

When he got to the beach, he saw Cid and Shera under an umbrella on a set of beach chairs. he walked over to the married couple. It was a warm, sunny day. The white sand of the beach slightly stung as he stepped across its surface.

'Hm. Them to.' Cloud approached the married couple, pulling up a chair next to them. "I see that you guys are taking well to the mission."

"Same goes for you!" Cid quickly countered, taking a puff out of his cigarette. "If we're gonna be traveling round the damn planet again, might as well take some time and enjoy it! Same goes for you!"

Cloud couldn't argue with it. Cid was right. The last time they had made their way around the world, they were traveling at a pace so quick that they didn't really have the time to enjoy some of the cities and destinations that they had visited. 'It's just one morning, anyway...' Cloud adjusted his chair, getting used to the sun beating down onto him.

"What's Yuffie been up to?" Cloud asked

Shera simply pointed into the ocean, as Cloud noticed the plume of water that was rising up from the ocean's surface, as splashes and waves went in every direction. The playful ninja was happily splashing about the water.

'Figures.' Cloud thought to himself. He sat back in his chair and let out a sigh, relaxing his back muscles into the comfort of the chair. He never had any intention of going into the water. Coming down to the beach to begin with was enough relaxation for him. He did not plan on staying down there for that long, either. He draped his arm across his bare stomach, while his other arm covered his eyes. He was getting used to this relaxing feeling. He slowly started to drift off.

"Hiya, Cloud!" The ninja came running up to Yuffie.

"Good morning, Yuffie..." Cloud said, raising his hand to block the sun from his eyes, so he could see the approaching ninja.

"I see you're taking the morning off."

"Yep. Just the morning, though. I'll be heading back into the city later on tonight to take another look around," Cloud stated.

"Ooh, cool. Mind if I come later?"

Cloud seemed perplexed, "Why?"

"Well, I've already spent the entire day off yesterday. Besides, I want to help, too! We'll cover the city twice as fast!" Yuffie cheered.

She did have a point, but she was also one to be very distracted during missions, as well.

"Hmm, I don't know, Yuffie." Cloud paused for a moment. "We'll see."

"Come on, Cloud!" Yuffie whined, "Please, please, please, please, please, please, please, please, please, please, please, ple-"

"Alr-"

"Please, please, please, please, please, please, please, please, please, please, please, ple-"

"OKAY. Okay." Cloud nearly shouted. "You're so annoying."

Yuffie smiled, triumphantly.

Cloud started to feel annoyed. He didn't come all the way down here to deal with all of this. "I'll tell you what, if you don't bother me now, you can come along later on tonight."

Without a word, Yuffie ran back towards the water and dove in. Cloud rested back in his chair, trying to enjoy the relaxation again.

Cid leaned over to him, taking a puff from his cigarette. "Now you see what the fuck I gotta deal with..."

* * *

Aerith was walking down the pathway in-between a glade of beautiful trees in the Lifestream. For a moment, she paused. She felt as if she was being called. "...What?"

A bright light flashed around her for a moment, as she covered her eyes to block the brightness from blinding her. When the brightness had faded, Aerith saw that she was no longer amidst the glade of trees. She wasn't entirely too sure where she was at this point. When she looked around, she saw that she was surrounded by a group of people, varying in different ages and types. She looked around at the group of people, who all seemed to be staring at her.

Aerith felt nervous, as all of the eyes watched her. She raised her voice to speak, unsure of really what to say. "Um...hello...?"

"Hello, Ms. Gainsborough. It is an honor to meet you."

"Thank you. Who...who are all of you."

"We're the Cetra Council. The council consists of members of the Cetra race. Each of us have once been a part of the world's history at one point in time over the past thousands of years, you being the last to join our council."

Aerith recognized the Cetra that was speaking to her. "I remember you. I tried to talk to you...at the Temple of the Ancients."

"Precisely."

"I couldn't really understand you at the time, though."

"That's because I was speaking the lost language of our race. It is inherently known by all Cetra, but I suppose some of the translation might have been lost to you."

"Yes, it was." Aerith smiled, remembering the events that had transpired at the temple. "What am I doing here?"

Aerith noticed that a few of the members looked at each other, almost unsure of what to say, before looking back at the woman. "Aerith, we need you to do an important mission for us."

Aerith listened intently, wondering what she could possibly do for them, especially in the Lifestream. "Yes?"

The Cetra leader looked at her for a moment and let out a sigh, "We need you to go back."

"Go back? As in, go back to the world?"

The Cetra leader gave her a small nod.

"I can...go back? How? I've never heard of anything like this happening." Aerith was confused by the entire situation.

"It's an extremely rare situation. We have the power to do it, we just...have not ever done it. There's a lot at stake Aerith and the world needs your help."

"Why?"

"It's Jenova, Aerith. The only person who could stop her is you. As much as they fight her, the only one that could beat her is a Cetra such as yourself."

Aerith was starting to get frustrated. "I've heard that all before and look what happened."

"Aerith, she must be stopped. If she was to destroy the planet, the entire existence of our world and the Lifestream would perish. This is not just about saving the planet anymore, it's about saving all of us."

She didn't like hearing any of this, it reminded her of everything that her mother had told her earlier. "Why? Why me out of everyone?"

"Aerith, you have a life to go back to. Many of us don't. We're perfectly fine with being here where we are. You've left behind family and friends. You can get all of that back."

"Well, I have a life here, too, now!" Aerith threw her hands up in the air, infuriated. "I have family and friends here, too!"

Aerith wasn't necessarily sure what she was arguing. It was happening all so fast. It wasn't that she didn't want to go back, it's just that she never thought she would be able to.

"Aerith, we need your help. Jenova is going to go after something of yours, something that will ensure her the destruction of the planet."

Aerith already knew the answer. "The white materia. She wants the white materia, doesn't she?"

The Cetra leader continued, "Yes. If it falls into her hands, it will only increase her power. She won't be able to be stopped. She will destroy that world...and this one along with it."

Aerith let out a chuckle, almost as if this entire thing was some sick joke. "And what do you expect me to do?"

"You need to get the white materia first. If you have it, you will be able to harness its ultimate protective properties and protect the planet. You'll be able to save our worlds and defeat Jenova for good. You will cast a barrier spell that would permanently repel Jenova from our worlds."

Aerith nodded, "I understand."

"But...there is a price to be paid." The Ancient Cetra continued. "This materia's properties are strong, as you know. You are the only person in the planet's history to have been able to cast such an immaculate protective force."

"Holy", Aerith said simply.

"It's so much more than just Holy. It's a force that can repel anything. That's why the power of this materia comes at a great price. In order to use this materia's most primary powers, it may strip away your own powers, possibly even your life."

Aerith stood there for a moment, lowering her head to the ground. "You mean...I could...die?" Aerith said, reluctantly.

The Cetra leader nodded. "We're...not entirely sure. Many of us were killed by Jenova before we ever got the chance to discover the secrets behind the materia's powers. We know that we're asking for the biggest favor imaginable."

Aerith stood there, thinking about everything she had just heard, What was she to do? To go back, return to the planet, reunite with Cloud, her friends, her stepmother, only to die yet again? At what cost was any of this worth it? Or was she to stay here and watch the world she used to know slowly sink into darkness and death?

"At what cost is any of this worth it?" Aerith mumbled to herself. "I've sacrificed so much already! Now, I'm supposed to go back and do it all again, as if I never died at all? How do I explain to my family and friends that I might die again." Aerith felt her voice shake, as her eyes became watery. "I just want happiness. I can't get it here, I can't get it when I'm alive! How do you expect me to return and live a normal life after everything that's happened. If only all of you had been wiser, you never would have fallen victim to Jenova in the first place!"

The Cetra leader tried to calm the woman down, "Please Aerith, you have to understand."

"No, I do not." Aerith approached the man. "I always thought that I would do the right thing. I led the same role my entire life, to always do what was right. I made the right decision when I put my life in danger to help my friends. I made the right decision when I put aside my own feelings and dreams to help the greater cause. I made the right decision...to let myself die, so that everyone else could live. I told myself it was for the good of all, but to do it all again..."

"Aerith, we don't know. There's still -"

Aerith stopped him. " No. I didn't think I'd ever have the chance to return...not like this, at least."

"You wanted to help your friends."

Aerith nodded, "Yes. Yes, I did...but how can I even face them knowing that I could die again? I won't put them through that pain again." 'I won't put him through that pain again.'

"Aerith...please, you're our only hope."

Aerith felt like she was on a cliff, teetering falling into the depths of despair or soaring into greatness. If she was to go back, she would do it on her own terms. She'd get the materia, save the planet, only to return to it in the process. 'Elmyra, my friends, Cloud...they could never know. I'm not going to hurt them like that again. I'll fight to protect their lives. I'll fight to protect the planet, but they'll never know..."

Aerith raised her voice, confident and assuring. "Fine. I'll do it. I'll return to the planet and stop Jenova."

The Cetra Leader raised his arms around the girl, bringing her into an embrace. "I knew it! Such wisdom and power for a woman so young! There is hope, hope for all of us. If anyone can protect us, she can." The Cetra council cheered and applauded.

"Of course, I have my own terms that you will all have to abide by."

"Yes, of course, anything."

"If I am to return to the planet and take on this quest, I want to take someone back with me."

"But Aerith...that goes against the laws that divide the real world from the Lifestream. Breaking those laws would provide serious consequences for the council."

"We'd also have some pretty serious consequences if I decided to stay here. But I'm going back, aren't I?" Aerith replied with a small smile.

"Indeed, you are. You're very perceptive and determined."

Aerith nodded and questioned, "Now, how will I return?"

The Cetra leader presented Aerith with a tree branch with a single leaf on it, handing it to the girl. "This will be the passageway back to the living world. If you plant it, the passageway will open and grow into a portal. It will allow you to take only one person into the portal with you.

Aerith examined the branch for a moment, as if it was so simple, yet difficult to understand.

"The same number that passes through the portal must also make it back into the living world on the opposite side. If the two do not make it back together, I'm afraid neither of you will be able to return. It is the portal's rules, not ours."

"I understand." Aerith examined the branch.

"Are you ready, Aerith? Ready to face the planet again?"

Aerith raised her head, determined. "Yes. I'm ready to save the planet. Again." Aerith smiled at her last part.

The Cetra leader smiled, "Thank you, Aerith."

* * *

Aerith made her way through the passages of the Lifestream, quickly tracing her steps back to her parents, who were waiting for her.

"Mom! Dad! I have so much to tell you!" Aerith approached them, excitedly.

Aerith's mom silenced her, "We know, dear..."

Aerith stopped and looked at them for a moment. "You...know? I'm...going back?"

"Yes, Aerith." Her father continued, "They spoke to us first."

"Oh, I see." Aerith said. "You're not...mad?"

Ifalna smiled, she felt tears welling up in her eyes. "I have never been mad at you a day in my life and I'm not going to start now. We're proud of you, Aerith. We're both so proud."

Aerith smiled slightly. "But, I can also take someone back with me! They can come back, start a new life..." Aerith stopped when she saw her parents exchange a quick glance to one another. Aerith stopped, "What?"

Her parents shot another glance at one another once again. Her mother was the first to speak up, "Aerith...we're...we're not going back. Either of us."

Aerith stood there, a sad and confused expression on her face. "I don't understand..."

"Aerith, this is our world now. This is where the two of us are together. This is our home." Ifalna looked at her daughter and gripped her shoulders. "We thought you'd be happy that you'd be able to go back."

Aerith sighed, "I am. I just didn't think it would be like this." Aerith looked at them. "Look, here's the thing. As much as I loved having both of you with me for the last two years, it doesn't change the fact, that for most of my life...I was alone."

Ifalna brushed a few of the strands of hair from her daughter's face and tried to flash a small smile, one that she knew didn't last long. "When the two of us escaped from the Shinra all those years ago, I knew I wasn't going to make it out alive. I wanted to make sure that before I died, my daughter was going to have the best life possible. This is your chance to return and live it."

Aerith looked up at her mother. "Right," Aerith flashed a small smile, a sad expression falling across her face, "but we could have been together." Aerith's smile fell. "There's nothing more important than family."

To Aerith, this wasn't just about the possibility of going back, or fighting Jenova or her afraid of dying; this was also about her being separated from her parents again. Her father reassured her, "Aerith, we are not the only family that you have."

Her mother continued, "You have family and friends and people who care about you. We will always be here to support you, dear, no matter what happens. We just want to give you your best chance. Even if it is not easy, we have hope that you'll find a way to fix things."

Aerith rushed in to give her mother and father a hug, as the three embraced. Aerith whispered, "Thank you." Aerith raised her hand to wipe away a few of the tears that had fallen down her parents' faces. "I don't want to see any of that." Aerith laughed, trying to lighten the mood. "I'll be ok."

Ifalna grasped her daughter's face, "You'll be more than ok. You'll be wonderful."

Aerith smiled, feeling a tear run down her face. She tried to keep her composure while she was with her parents. She slowly backed up away from the couple, giving the smallest wave. "I'll come back one day. Then, we can be a family again."

Her father raised his voice, "We never really stopped."

* * *

_Denzel trailed through the slums, leading to the church. He could have sworn that he saw the flower girl just pass through here. It must have been well over a year since the last time he saw her. He made his way to the courtyard in the front of the church. It was then that he spotted the lonesome motorcycle parked at the entrance of the church._

_He looked around to see if anyone was there. He approached the motorcycle and examined it for a second. He reached for the phone that was placed in a compartment by the motorcycle and examined it for a quick second. It was only then that the effects of Geostigma took over. Denzel felt his head spin, his stomach twists, his eyes dilate. It was a twisting, excruciating pain that seemed to come from within. Denzel clutches his head and fell to the floor with a thud._

_From within the church, a blonde-haired man came running outside to see what was wrong. When he found Denzel on the floor, he hurried over to the young boy. He carefully picked the boy up in his arms. "Are you alright?"_

_"Where's the...the...flow...er...lady?"_

* * *

Aerith made her way through the glade of trees in the Lifestream, holding the tree branch that the Cetra leader had given her. It was the time. She was going to go back, stop Jenova and save the planet. She was going to do it with all of the determination and strength she could uphold.

"Aerith! Where are you taking me?! I was resting!" Zack nearly shouted.

Aerith continued to drag the man by the shoulder. "You're always resting! Now, I know I might sound crazy, but just watch..."

Aerith took the tree branch and went over to a small patch of dirt at the base of one of the oak trees. She parted the dirt with her hands, before burying the branch into the dark soil.

Zack watched her, cocking his head to the side. "O...kay? I know you like this kind of stuff, but I don't really get it..."

"Shh. Watch." It was then that branches and leaves twisted from within the ground, creating an arch that opened. Green leaves grew from within the tree branches, which created a doorway of sorts. From within the leaves, a green mist seemed to droop over, covering the passageway, wrapping it in a mysterious glow. The mist was light and reflective, almost as if it was made from the surface of water. A wind began to pick up within the glade of trees. Aerith smiled as she watched the portal open.

Zack backed away slightly, "Eh...what...what is that?"

"It's our way back."

* * *

Thanks for reading guys!

Sorry, this chapter was really long. I keep on trying to keep the chapter's manageable, but it seems with each chapter, there is more and more being put into it. This will probably be the longest chapter for awhile, but there is definitely a lot of stuff coming along the way!

I also wanted to address that the mood of the story is a little down right now, between Marlene and Barrett being separated, also paralleling Aerith being separated from her parents, so there's a lot of sad, conflicting feelings there. But don't worry, things will become lighter! Some of the characters are just dealing with the more difficult aspects of life right now.

Please read and review!


	7. The Tale of Two Soldiers

**Chapter Seven - The Tale of Two Soldiers**

Aerith and Zack stood on the edge of the glade of trees, staring into the portal that had materialized in front of them.

"So, you're saying that you want us...to go through there," Zack stated, pointing into the glowing passage.

Aerith smiled and nodded. "Yes. It's a passageway back to the living world."

"And how is this at all possible?" Zack questioned the brunette woman, raising an eyebrow at her. "It's not very often than people can leave this place...ever."

"I made a deal with the Cetra council." Aerith turned back to look at Zack. "They want me to go back to destroy Jenova. They said that I'm the only one who could finally defeat her by using the white materia, but that it might hurt me in the process."

"And you agreed with them!?"

Aerith thought for a moment. "...Yes. I did want to help out my friends. I just didn't think any of this would be possible..."

"That's a pretty big debt to pay for the price of freedom. You might as well be one of the greatest friends a person could ask for."

"Thanks." Aerith smiled. "Of course, I wasn't willing to do all of this for free...which is why you're coming back with me!"

"Why would you take me back?" Zack questioned the brunette woman, wondering why she wouldn't have brought back her parents or someone else instead. But him?

"Because you're my closest friend." Aerith smiled at him and patted him on the back. "I think we can both use another chance, don't you?"

Zack smiled, "Yep. Can't argue there."

"Just one thing, though. Will you help me once we get back to the other side? To help stop Jenova, that is?"

"Well, I can't say that she didn't mess up my life, either." Zack scratched his chin, "I also wouldn't want my friend to fight this battle all by herself...especially when she's taking me back with her."

"Right." Aerith smiled, "Besides, we can't allow Cloud to be the only hero. I think we've deserved our chance, too, you know?"

Zack nodded and pointed back towards the portal. "Now, what to do about this."

Aerith dusted off her pink dress, before approaching the portal, raising her hand to touch the branches that grew off of the sides. "It's important that we stick together once we pass through. The same number that travels through must also make it out on the other side, or else it won't work."

"I understand."

"Be careful. I don't know exactly what's going to happen in here. I don't think it will necessarily be the easiest thing, though." Aerith pressed her hand onto the surface of the green mist of the portal. As she pressed her hand against the mist, she saw the surface of the mist ripple, as if it was made of a type of liquid. Aerith turned back and shot a quick glance at Zack, "Are you ready?"

Zack gave her a small nod, before Aerith turned her back to him. She placed her hand through the green mist, eyeing the portal cautiously. She walked directly through, disappearing into the portal. Zack watched just for a moment as Aerith disappeared before him. After just another moment, Zack repeated Aerith's steps and walked through the green mist of the portal.

Once on the other side, the portal faded behind them, leaving the two of them to tread onward. Zack looked around at the place, curious and amazed, all at once. "What...is this place?"

"A passageway between worlds." Aerith took a few steps forward, examining the area. The floor was a soft type of clay or mud that seemed to stretch into a long, winding pathway, wrapping its' way throughout the area. The sky was a dark green, contrasting against the light features of the ground. The entire area seemed unreal, like some sort of fantasy abyss. "We have to watch our steps."

"I feel...heavier." Zack observed, but noticed that nothing had really changed about him.

"Yeah, me too." There was nothing that was noticeably different about them, but they still felt changed. "Maybe it's because we're in-between worlds now? We might be crossing over back into the real world. This might just be the first step in the changes."

"Heh, I guess I sort of forgot what it was like to be alive." Zack let out a laugh. "It's been a long time."

Aerith smiled, "Let's go." The two made their way down the winding pathway, which seemed to drop off into nothingness. It just appeared to continue on and on, leading towards a bright green and white light, which seemed to envelope one side of the area.

As the two made their way down the trail, Zack was the first to raise his voice. "So, you're really set on doing this? Taking down Jenova?"

Aerith nodded. "I am. Once we get back, we'll have to make our way to the City of the Ancients. There, I'll get the white materia back and...hopefully, put a stop to all of this."

Zack stopped in his tracks. "The City of the Ancients. Isn't that where...?"

"Yeah." Aerith turned to face him. "Don't worry about it, though. I'll be ok. I just have to make sure that I get it back before Jenova gets it."

"Well, this sounds like fun." Zack shouted excitedly, doing a squat in the process. "Always gotta have our work cut out for us!"

"Don't we, though?" Aerith smiled, before letting out a laugh.

Aerith was in the middle of her laugh, when she felt something. It felt like something coming from within. She raised her hand to her heart. "Hm? Cloud..."

"What?"

Aerith quickly turned around. "Oh, sorry, it was nothing." She continued walking down the path. 'I can't feel him anymore...' When she had died, she wanted a part of her to live on inside of Cloud, not just as an attachment to the world, but also, to Cloud, himself. 'Hmm? I guess coming back means I have to let go of some things...'

A strong wind picked up throughout the immense space. Aerith's hair whipped across her face, as she tried fervently to straighten out the brown strands. The wind let out a loud road as it ripped through the area. It was deafening and powerful. "Speak of the devil. What's happening!?" Aerith tried to shout over the roar of the wind, but it proved useless. Aerith looked around the area to see what was happening.

Zack patted Aerith on the shoulder, looking behind them. "Aerith, what...what the hell is that!?"

Aerith turned to face over her shoulder, spotting the black fog that was racing towards them. Bolts of green energy were surging throughout the Cloud, buzzing and blasting away pieces of the land formations. The black cloud continued to approach the two. "That is the consequences of us leaving." The two stood there for just a moment longer, entranced by the approaching fog, before Aerith was snapped out of her thoughts. "Zack! Come on, we have to go!"

Aerith gripped Zack's arm dragging him along the winding pathway, which zigzagged its way down the area. The black cloud continued to follow the two of them, sending out a blast of power that hit the pathway that the two were standing on just moment earlier. The pathway crumbled behind them.

"Damn! That was close." Zack shouted, leading Aerith further down the pathway, which was now beginning to crumble behind them. There was no turning back. Not now, not ever.

The two sprinted down the pathway, the dark cloud bursting forward. Tney ran as fast as their feet allowed. Aerith turned back to Zack, "This is it! Now, let's go back!" They continued into running into the light that seemed to contrast into the area. They ran as far down the pathway that they could reach, until the moment they felt that there was nowhere else to run. They were in the middle of nothingness. Another blast of green lightning jolted forwards, blasting a piece of the land formations away, causing a surge of electricity from within.

Aerith turned around, watching as the black cloud reach them. It approached rapidly, hovering over them for just a second, before arriving on the rim of the bright whiteness. For an instant, the blackness of the cloud contrasted against the bright white space they were in. There was a thunderous clap, an impulse between the two levels that sent a shockwave flying in every direction.

The blast caused Aerith and Zack to fall backwards, the power of the shockwave overcoming the two of them. The two felt themselves fall to the ground, unable to keep their stance any longer. As she hit the floor, Aerith felt her eyes grow heavy. 'What...what's happening to me?' She felt a hand reach out for hers for a brief moment, before everything faded.

* * *

Cloud had returned to his room after spending the morning by the beach. 'That was nice.' He was content with taking the morning off from work. He felt more relaxed already and was ready to start another round of searches throughout Junon.

After Cloud had showered and changed into his clothes, he had decided to meet up with Yuffie outside of the inn. He did say that she could come along with him earlier, so he was willing to let her come along to take a look around. 'As long as she doesn't jeopardize anything, it's fine.' Cloud packed up a few of his belongings, packing away a few pieces of armor and some potions. He left the room, closing the door behind him.

He walked down the steps of the inn and spotted Yuffie leaning on his sword. "And what are you doing with that?"

"Who? Me?" Yuffie looked around for a moment. "I was just watching it for you. Cid nearly broke his back getting it down here from the Highwind when you forgot it up there yesterday." Yuffie mumbled under her breath, "Not that I would complain if he DID hurt himself."

"Thanks." Cloud grabbed the sword and placed it into the sheath. "You good to go?"

"Uh-huh! Let's head out!" Yuffie cheerfully stated, making their way towards the set of stairs that led the way towards the upper levels of the city.

"So, you came across that weird thing yesterday, right? How do you explain that?"

Cloud continued following Yuffie up the steps. "I don't know. Whatever it was, it wasn't anything serious. It just seemed to lead me around circles anyway. I don't even think it was related to Jenova at all."

"Hm. Figures you'd go on a wild goose chase for nothing! So, what are we looking for today?"

"Anything that can directly trace us back to Jenova. Any clues at all."

The two had made their way up to the city. The early afternoon had set in and the streets were crowded with many people wandering about. Cloud and Yuffie pushed their way through the groups of people, with no exact direction that they were heading towards.

"Man, it's gonna be impossible to find anything in a place like this! Too many people." Yuffie grimaced, as she hap-hazardly tried to dodge a man that was charging her way with a suitcase in hand, obviously in an apparent rush. "Hey! Watch it!"

"Well, we have a lot of ground to cover. Let's start here and make our way towards the center of the city." Cloud stated, pointing down one of the less busier streets for them to take. Yuffie followed the man down the street.

"Well, for all the hard work that Jenova is putting us through, we had better find her!" Yuffie tossed a glance over to the soldier.

"Well, if she's anywhere near, I think she'll find us before we find her."

Yuffie suddenly became more alert, looking down a few of the streets, as if she could suddenly sense a presence.

"Stop getting paranoid, Yuffie."

As the two continued down the street, Cloud noticed two soldiers standing on the corner of one of the city's sidewalks. 'Hm. Those two from yesterday.' Cloud recognized them from the previous day. They led him to spotting that "thing" that evaded him.

As the two walked by, he overheard their conversation. "From here, we're taking a ship to Mideel. We should be there by sunset. Then, the ship will change course and head towards Corel. They say that there's an apparent threat over there. They've already sent troops from Corel and Nibelheim to look into it."

Cloud had assumed that the two must have been a part of Junon's military armada. Although the Shinra Company was no more, there were still several deployed military fleets throughout many cities to help maintain order and security.

The second soldier sighed, "Damn, I hate these long missions. It's nice that we got out of that Shinra mess before anything got outta hand." The second said with a laugh.

"Right, they're going to supply us with our weapons when we get to the ship. If it really is a force like Jenova we're after, we better be prepared."

Cloud stopped in his tracks, as Yuffie pressed on, not really paying attention to the two. "What? Jenova?"

"We'd better get going. The ship leaves in ten." The two soldiers marched off.

"Wait!" Cloud extended out his hand, as if it would stop the soldiers. The two men turned around to spot Cloud, who ran his way up to them.

"Huh?"

"What did you say? About Jenova?" Cloud questioned, concern in his voice.

"Oh, yeah. Hey, aren't you that Cloud guy, the one that took down Sephiroth? You know, the army sort of looks up to you."

The second soldier interjected, "No, didn't that guy die? I'm pretty sure he died."

"How could he be dead if he's standing right here, idiot."

Cloud confirmed to himself. These were the types of soldiers that would probably get beat up before having all of their things stolen from them. Completely unfit and unaware of everything.

Cloud let out a sigh, "Yes, I'm him. Now about Jenova?"

"Really wow! Never thought I'd meet an important soldier like you," the first soldier exclaimed, excitedly.

The second soldier continued, "We heard that a Jenova-like being was spotted over in the Corel region. We don't really know too much else, though."

Cloud scratched his chin, "So, the army is getting involved in this, too, now?"

"Well, not really. We're just monitoring the area for now." The second soldier explained, "If we do find her, we'll make quick work of her and move on."

Cloud thought to himself, 'That's unlikely.'

"Well, we'd better get on our way. If this really is the case, they'll need us over there as soon as possible." The second soldier started to make his way down the street.

"Wait!" The first soldier ran back toward Cloud. Cloud turned to face the masked soldier. "Can...can you sign this for me?" The soldier presented Cloud with a small, blank piece of paper.

"What? Seriously?" Cloud sighed. It was the first time anyone had ever asked him something like this. It sort of bothered him, a feeling he didn't experience until just now. He felt like he wasn't really important, like asking for his signature was almost as a joke. He wasn't the soldier that he thought he was all those years ago, he didn't think of himself as being an important hero.

'When I stopped Sephiroth, it had very little to do with saving the planet. It was about...a very personal memory that I cherish.'

Cloud looked down at the soldier again and let out a sigh. He took the pen out of the man's hand and signed his name on the white paper.

_Cloud Strife_.

Cloud handed the piece of he paper back to the man. "Thank you, sir! I won't lose this. I met the guy that saved the planet. What!? Awesome."

Cloud confirmed to himself with a smile. If these two guys did not get beat up yet, their day would be coming.

The other soldier, who was already a block up the street, yelled back to his accomplice. "HEY! We're gonna be late! LET'S GO!" The other soldier waved back at the two, before making their way down the street, towards the ship dock.

"Well, check you out! Big shot hero!" Yuffie said, taunting Cloud.

"Stop talking, Yuffie..."

Yuffis sighed, "And here I thought they'd want my autograph, too. Let's not forget that good hit I gave Sephiroth. BOOM." Yuffie mimicked, slashing into the air.

"Come on, let's just go." Cloud continued to lead her down the street. "Coming here was stupid. Jenova wasn't even here to begin with."

The two continued to walk down the street, before Yuffie raised her voice. "How do you think Barret and the others are doing? They should be making their way over here soon, too, right?"

"Yeah, they should be here by tomorrow. I can't imagine that they'd be too happy, either, knowing that we've been here for days searching the place for nothing, really." Cloud reached into his pocket and took out his phone. "I should give them a call."

Cloud waited on the phone for a few minutes, listening to the dial tone, before he was brought to Barret's voicemail. He looked over at Yuffie, "He didn't answer."

"That's strange, He taking lessons from you?"

Cloud decided to blow by the comment, before leaving a message for Barret. "Hey Barret, it's Cloud. Look, we've been searching this place for a few days now and we haven't found any signs of Jenova. I just ran into two soldiers who said that they might have spotted her off by Corel. That's where we'll head to when we meet back up tomorrow. Try to get here tomorrow as soon as possible. I'll see you then."

Cloud and Yuffie continued down the city street, moving past the crowds of people. "Well, so much for tracking her down..."

Yuffie sighed, "Next time, make sure she's dead before she takes off again, okay?"

"Right."

* * *

Barret, Tifa and Reno made their way to the entrance of the Mythril Mines. They had spent the majority of the morning driving through the chocobo fields. The morning was fairly uneventful. They would stop every now and then to stretch their legs or to fight a fiend that was prowling about, but for the most part, the day had gone just as they expected.

"I should have guessed we weren't going to come across Jenova in those fields. Jenova and chocobos? That's be a fun outing." Reno made his way to the entrance of the caverns. "So, we heading inside?"

"Yeah, just a sec. I guess we'll just leave the car parked out here and Cid can get it back once we get over to Junon, then?" Tifa questioned.

"Right. Let's leave a car parked in the middle of a field. That's responsible." Reno mocked.

"Well, what else are we supposed to do? We have to get over to Junon by tomorrow and it's not like we can drive the car through the caves. We don't have too many options."

"So, are we heading in or what?" Reno wasn't in the mood for an argument.

"Yeah, wait a sec." Barret searched into his bag, reaching for a specific item. "Here you go, it'll get dark in there." Barret handed Tifa a flash light. "You leadin' the way?"

"Sure, why not?" Tifa flicked on the flash light, shining it into the cave for a brief moment. "Nothing..." Tifa stepped into the cavern, her soft footsteps producing loud echoes throughout. The sound of light drips could be heard throughout the cavern, as Tifa tried to peer into the darkness that seemed to shroud out the light from the outside. A few more steps and the outside light would be extinguished.

"There's that damn thing again!" Barret said, raising his gun-arm towards a huge snake that was impaled through the skull by a sharp, rugged beam of wood.

'What-what the hell-is-is-is that?" Reno stuttered, his voice shaking with anxiety.

"Sephiroth did that years ago. I was just as shocked to find out about his power at the time," Tifa explained.

Reno shook his head. "No, no, no! I...hate...snakes..."

Tifa shot Reno an unbelieving look, before turning back to the snake. "Are you serious? Come on, Reno. Let's go." Tifa grabbed his arm, trying to pull him beyond the snake and into the cavern.

"HELL NO. I'm not going in there! I think I'll just wait out by the buggy..." Reno said, trying to pry his arm away.

"For the love of god Reno, get inside, put on your big boy pants and get a hold of yourself!" Tifa almost felt like she had the urge to slap Reno, but resisted her temptation. "Come on, let's go." Tifa spun Reno around with her finger, before pushing him into the cave.

The three made their way into the cavern, treading about the darkness. Tifa held the flashlight in one hand, piercing into the darkness, while her other hand traced against the rock walls of the cavern, using it as a support of balance to ensure that she would not fall or take a wrong step. The cavern was disorienting to say the least. The slants along the cavern floor provided a complex and confusing route through, one that made the three dizzy.

"Damn, man..." Barret said, clutching one of his hands to his forehead, before stopping for just a moment to try and regain his stance.

The two had continued on for another ten minutes, making their way through the cavern. The passageway through narrowed, offering only a small passage within. Tifa slowly illuminated the passage, stepping inside, leaning against the walls. She was followed in by Reno, who kept his hand on her shoulder, making sure that he would not lose her.

Tifa smirked, "I thought you said you had a good sense of direction."

"I thought that, too, and then I came here..." Reno stopped for a moment, trying to peek into the dark caverns ahead. Reno attempted to turn around, before being met by Barret's gaze. "You know, it really isn't too late to turn ba-"

"Come on, Reno! Move your slow ass and get with it!" Barret shouted. His voice boomed throughout the cavern, unintentionally.

"Come on." Tifa extended her hand towards Reno. Reno brought out his hand, extending it for just a moment, before taking Tifa's grasp. "We'll be out soon." They continued down the pathway a little further. Reno felt something grasp around his arm and stopped suddenly.

Tifa turned around to face the man, questioning his sudden reaction. "...What?"

Reno simply smiled, "I don't know. I just didn't know you felt so strongly about me, Tifa."

Tifa gave Reno a confused face. "What are you talking about?"

"Well, I don't know." Reno started coyly. "You holding on to me, making sure I'll be there for you."

"Reno, I'm holding your hand because I want to make sure that I'll be able to find your body when you faint."

"Really?" Reno smiled, "Then what do you call this?" Reno lifted up his arm to notice the large snake that had wrapped around it. "HOLY SHIT!" Reno screamed at the top of his lungs, his voice echoing through the cavern, as his face twisted in a mixture of surprise and paralyzing fear.

The snake let out a hiss from the sudden reaction. Reno stood there for a moment, unable to move. Barret grasped the snake just below the head, gripping it tight enough to choke it, before slapping it down onto the floor, bringing his heavy boot down with it. Barret grinded his foot into the floor, making sure that the large snake had been killed. Reno stood there for a moment looking at the remains of the snake, which has started to ooze dark blood.

"I think I'm gonna be sick," Reno muttered, as he covered his mouth with both of his hands.

"Come on, let's just get out of here!" Tifa grabbed Reno and Barret at the same time, making their way through the cavern. They began to run their way to the other half of the cavern, sprinting their way through, noticing the hissing that proceeded to grow louder as they made their way through. Tifa flashed the light throughout the room, noticing the several snakes that were squirming and writhing along the floor.

Tifa slowly backed up, "Reno, don't look." She quietly whispered.

Of course, Tifa's words only prompted Reno to become more curious, as he flashed a quick glimpse around the room, spotting the several snakes throughout the area. Reno let out another scream.

"You guys run up ahead," Barret shouted towards Tifa and Reno. "I got things covered down here." Barret raised his gun towards the snakes, with a grin on his face.

"You sure?" Tifa questioned, as Barret returned a small nod. She grabbed Reno's arm. "Come on, let's go." The two continued down the cavern, running through the cavernous passageways, too scared and pre-occupied to even bother to take a look around. They knew that the slithering beasts were everywhere, they were not even going to bother to take a look and determine where exactly they were; the sounds of their approaching hissing were enough to scare them.

From behind them, Tifa and Reno could hear the sounds of gunshots going off, assuming that Barret was taking care of the snakes that they had come across earlier. Reno looked over at Tifa. "Do you think he can handle all of them?"

Tifa nodded, keeping up her quick pace through the cavern. "He'll be fine, Barret can take care of h-" Tifa suddenly tripped over a rock, which sent her flying down, cutting her knees and arms. She grimaced for a moment, as she felt the sting of the pain.

"Are you ok?" Reno quickly rushed over to her.

"Yeah, I'll be fine." Tifa pressed her hands against her wounds to notice the blood that had been picked up on her palms.

"Come on, let's go!" Reno lifted Tifa up into his arms, one of his hands supporting her back, while the other wrapped under her legs. Tifa wrapped her arms around Reno's neck as he made a sprint out of the cavern, towards the only source of light that seemed to come from the area. He ran as fast as his legs could run, running faster and faster out of the cavern. He saw the light of day just up ahead and knew that they were almost out of the cavern.

Reno burst out of the other side of the cavern, with Tifa in his hands. Once outside, in the grassy field, Reno set Tifa down for a moment, leaving her to examine her wounds. Reno panted, trying to catch his breath, before he raised his hands to clutch his head. Moments later, Reno collapsed to the ground.

"Reno...?" When Tifa noticed that Reno had fallen, she instantly rushed over to his side. "Reno!" Tifa rested Reno's head in her arms, examining the man's status. He was breathing fine, there were several small cuts on his face, but there wasn't anything that seemed to be wrong with the man. 'He must have collapsed from being tired...or maybe he was just scared.' Tifa ran a hand through his red locks, tenderly. Tifa examined the sleeping man's face and let out a small smile. 'He still helped me, though. He's just one surprise after another...'

Barret emerged from the cavern moments later and saw the two laying in the field. "He alright?"

Tifa smiled and nodded, "Yeah, he'll be fine. I think he's had enough adventure for one day. And to think he was complaining about how boring the chocobo fields were..."

"Damn straight. I had enough, too! How bout you? You hurt?"

Tifa looked over herself, only now noticing the cuts and bruises that appeared along her arms and knees. "A few cuts, but nothing a potion or two can't fix."

"Good. I guess we'll just camp out here tonight." Barrett reached into his bag and took out the compact camping set that he had stored away, ready to set up the structure. When he removed the tent, he saw his phone flashing.

"Hm? One missed call?" Barret flipped open the phone and put the device to his ear. "Mm, it's Cloud."

"Cloud?" Tifa looked up at Barret. "How are they doing?"

Barret continued to listen to the message, intently. "He says that they haven't found anything. They got a clue that Jenova might have been spotted heading towards Corel...and that we should meet up with them as soon as we can tomorrow."

"Hmm, I guess all of us aren't having the best of luck." Tifa smiled, as Barret began to assemble the tent.

"That's right. Well, we'd all better rest up. We gonna have another early morning tomorrow."

"Ok." Tifa looked back down at Reno who had been resting in her arms. She rested her hands on Reno's chest. 'You'll be ok.'

* * *

The submarine dove towards the depths of the ocean floor, into the deep, blue abyss. The beaming lights from the submarine's sides tore through the darkness, piercing towards the bottom of the ocean floor. The signals on the control panels beeped, as the proper coordinates steered the direction of the submarine.

"There it is." Rufus stared, looking out into the open window of the submarine. Tseng adjusted the lights of the submarine, trying to receive a more definite image of the sunken submarine. Rude, Elena, Reeve and Vincent tried to look closer at the sunken Gelnika, which was toppled at the bottom of the ocean floor, in a dim seabed, surrounded by coral and fallen rock debris.

"All this...just for a weapon?" Reeve questioned, watching as the submarine dove closer towards the edge of the other submarine.

"Not just any weapon, a materia," Rufus inquired. "This materia will gain us the upper-hand in our fight against Jenova. She invaded my headquarters, I say it's time that we return the favor. Only this time, we destroy it...and her along with it."

"Such power..." Elena muttered, somewhat dazed.

Rufus nodded, "Yes. With that power, we'll be able to destroy that crater and all of the cells within and then, there's I'll be able to..." Rufus caught himself for a moment, "...rest."

Vincent raised an eyebrow towards the man, sending a piercing glare that seemed to stare directly through Rufus.

"Let's get this underway. We will be ready to dock in a few minutes. This shouldn't take too long." Tseng stated, flipping a few of the switches along the submarine, while Rude simply watched the scene.

The submarine had docked next to the Gelnika and allowed passage for them to access the sunken submarine. The group had entered the submarine and wandered through the cargo storage area of the submarine. Only a few lights remained intact throughout the submarine, which proved useful, although uncommon after the amount of time that the submarine had spent at the bottom of the sea.

The group made their way through the sub, walking their way through the waters that had flooded the submarine, reaching their knees. A slow drip could be heard in the background. The air was heavy and clouded, making it hard to breathe.

"Let's split up and find this thing quickly." Rude stated, walking towards one of the major cargo holds of the area.

"Wait." Rufus stopped the man. "Before we start the search, there is something you should know. This materia, it's a bit...unusual." Rufus smirked at his last word.

"How so, sir?"

"Unusual in the sense that we will not be able to physically touch it with our own hands." Rufus inquired. "If we were to do so, that would activate it and, well, decimate all of us."

Reeve threw his hands down, exasperated. "So, what the hell are we supposed to do?"

"We will have to contain its' power somehow. Find someway to contain it and, as long as we don't physically touch it, we will be able to salvage it and take it onto land. Now, we split up."

Rufus, Rude and Tseng began to make their way through the many different cargo boxes and storage units of the first level of the ship, while Elena, Vincent and Reeve made their way to the other parts to examine the ship.

Vincent and Reeve let Elena trail in front of them a little bit, leading the way.

Reeve leaned closer to Vincent and whispered, "I don't know about you, but I'm not falling for any of this. I recognized the look on Rufus' face. He's in this for more than just getting rid of Jenova."

"Yes." Vincent replied.

"You don't trust him, do you?"

"No."

"The others seem to..."

"They know more than us, that's certain," Vincent replied. "They haven't been on his opposing side before. We have."

"He has them wrapped around his fingers to do what he wants." Reeve nodded. "Our advantage? We can tell when he's bluffing."

The two watched as Elena made her way through several boxes and drawers. Reeve turned to Vincent.

"So, what are we going to do? Are we actually going to play along with this?"

"For the time being, yes." Vincent closed his eyes. "If Rufus is unwilling to tell us everything that he knows, we will do the same. We will force the truth out of them and turn the tables when they least expect it."

Elena shouted back, "Are you guys just going to stand there or are you gonna help us out?"

"Oh, we will definitely help out."

In the opposing cargo room of the ship, Rufus, Rude and Tseng continued looking through the ship.

"Not here either, sir."

"Take another look." Rufus pried open one of the crates in the storage room, only to come across useless armor pieces. 'Where would he place it?' Throughout the room, there were scattered crates and chests, all which had been robbed and salvaged throughout the years. "Damn it, father! Continuing to upset me after all these years!" Rufus slammed his fist into the metal wall, sending a vibration throughout the solid metal.

The slab of metal fell to the ground, revealing an opening in the submarine. A red, fiery glow seemed to emit from the opening in the submarine.

Tseng leaned his head inside, "What the hell is that...?"

Rufus smiled, "Our weapon." The materia was massive, bigger than any source of materia that any of them had ever seen. "We found it. Quick, grab a crate and that metal slab." Rude position the crate below the opening and used the metal slab to slowly slide the materia into the crate. As the materia slid down into the wooden box, fiery embers flew about before falling into the box, letting out a slight burst of flames. When Rude had removed the metal slab, the end was red hot and twisted.

'Very powerful,' Rufus thought, as he placed a lid on the metal crate.

Rufus dusted off his hands. "Well, I think we're done here. Let's gather the others and leave." Rufus began to head out of the submarine, patting down his white coat as he had done so. Rude followed the man back to the exit of the Gelnika, relieved to be leaving. He never did enjoy cramped spaces.

"Sir, I do have one question, though." Tseng stated, calling out to Rufus. The former President turned around, facing the man.

"When the time comes, when we do activate this materia, if the only way to activate it is to have someone touch it, wouldn't that person have to...die?"

Rufus smirked, "Exactly."

"But sir, who would possibly want to do that?"

"No one, of course, willingly. That's where our new arrivals come into play," Rufus coyly, stated.

"What? Vincent and Reeve? What do they have to do with this?"

"They are unaware of my intentions. If they were to find out, they would turn against us. I will not allow that to happen." Rufus lifted the crate into his arms, advancing towards the door. "They will catch on to me soon and by the time they do, I will already have killed both of them."

"But-but sir, they're part of the Turks. They're our associates."

"Former. They are our _former_ associates. When we bring about the new company, we'll have to trim the fat, starting with them." Rufus continued, "Let's not pretend that we our above a little deceit within our own ranks. My father, Sector Seven, Reno, should I continue?"

Tseng remained silent.

"I'll get rid of them before they ever have the chance to get rid of me." Rufus headed towards the door. "Now, call the others. We're heading out.

* * *

Aerith's eyes snapped open. She looked around to discover that she had no idea where she was. She was in a bed in the middle of a room. The blanket covered her body, but she still managed to feel a cold chill sweep across her body. She lifted herself off of the bed and raised her fingers to her temples, rubbing gently. She felt slightly dizzy, but very relaxed at the same time. Her hair had fallen loose behind her back and had become unkempt. When she raised herself up off of the bed, she saw a bed in the other corner of the room. The blankets were ruffled and unorganized. Aerith could only assume that Zack must have been there.

'What?...Where am I?' Aerith walked over to the mirror that was in the corner of the room. She glanced into the mirror, seeing her reflection, not looking a day older than she ordinarily would. It confused her. It wasn't until then that she decided to run a hand through her hair to try her best to straighten it out. She pushed the bangs out of her eyes and neatly tucked them behind her ear.

'Wait...' Aerith brought her hands down to the middle of her dress, just above her naval, before she had decided to undo two of the buttons. She opened the front of her dress as her eyes went wide. "It should be there," Aerith whispered, as her fingers traced over the soft skin of her stomach, tracing over the skin that was once tainted by the scar that Sephiroth had given her when he killed her. The scar was gone. Aerith continued to trace her fingers along her stomach, as if that would somehow reveal the scar, but it was gone. There was not a trace of it.

Aerith raised a hand to her cheek, contemplating everything that was going through her mind. Where was she? What was she doing here? She rushed over to one of the windows and pulled open the blinds. She stared out of the window, as the peering sunlight blinded her eyes. She didn't care, though. What she saw had caused her mouth to open, as a gasp escaped.

Aerith stood there, wide-eyed. "I did it..." She stared down at the city of Mideel from the window of the inn.

* * *

Aerith had emerged from the inn and walked down the busy streets of the city. Everything looked newly constructed and built, a fresh change to the rest of the cities that she had come across throughout her journeys.

Although Aerith had not been completely disconnected from the world, it was still an entirely different feeling to actually become a part of it again. To be able to breathe and walk and talk amongst people that were not part of the Lifestream. Everything seemed so familiar to her, but after her time in the Lifestream, it also seemed unusual and foreign. She didn't know what direction she was headed to and she didn't really care. She wanted to get out and see the city. She looked in the windows of the stores and accesory shops she had passed by. There were new items, new materia, new foreign money exchanges. Things had changed within the past couple of years that she had spent in the Lifestream, but oddly, things also seemed the same. It was like everything was different, but nothing had changed.

'Hm, I guess coming back isn't going to be met without change...'

It wasn't long until she saw a black spiky-haired man walk in her direction.

"Zack!" Aerith shouted out towards the man.

"Hey, I see you're looking better." Zack approached the woman. "You were out like a light earlier. I thought it would be best to just let you sleep it off for the time being, while I had a look around town."

Aerith glanced around the street. "Where are we exactly?"

"Mideel. Apparently, this place was met with a lot of destruction recently and they only finished building just a few months back."

Aerith whispered, "Mideel." She had never been to the city before.

"Yeah, I was trying to find out more about this place when I was taking a look around. Apparently, the ocean that this place was built by has traces of the Lifestream in it."

"Really?" Aerith turned to the man, wide-eyed.

"Yeah, some guy found us washed up on the beach down there and decided to bring us to the inn. I'm guessing that a current in the Lifestream must have spit us out here."

Aerith raised her hand to her chin. "Hmm, makes sense." Aerith smiled, turning to face down the street, towards the sunset. "I can't believe it. We actually made it back. I always thought that this kind of stuff was impossible."

Zack patted her on her shoulder. "I think you should start re-defining what you think is 'impossible'."

Aerith smiled, "I guess you're right."

"I know I'm right."

"So, what exactly do we do from here?" Aerith questioned, raising concern in her voice. She was finally back, but she knew that she wasn't back to lead a peaceful life. She had an important duty that she promised to the Cetra Council. The demise of Jenova.

"Well, we're gonna take down Jenova and get back the White Materia, right?" Aerith let out a small nod. "Well, then, today's our lucky day. A military boat pulled into the ocean harbor not too long ago. From here, it's headed back towards the Corel area tonight and then it's going to be making its' way over to the northern continent from there. We should be able to make it to the City of the Ancients in a couple of days."

"Good, that's a start." Aerith nodded. "So, you're really okay with doing this?"

"Doing what?" Zack turned back to the woman.

"Helping me out."

"Aerith, really, it's the least I could do. Besides, I already said that I wasn't going to let you fight this by yourself." Zack smiled, "We'll have Jenova defeated, we'll be heroes and you can reunite with your friends in no time. And we'll do it without getting you killed."

Aerith smiled, but it soon fell. "Zack, I don't want to get the others involved in this."

"What? But they're already involved. They're already doing what they can to fight Jenova. If both our missions are the same, don't you think we'd end up crossing paths at some point?"

Aerith sighed, "I know. And that's what scares me." Aerith tried to search for the right words to say. "I..I don't want them to know that I'm back...not if I could die again. It's just not right for me to put them through all that again."

"Aerith, I think you're really misplacing your trust in your friends. You know that if you were in trouble, they would be there to help you in a second."

"Of course, I know that." Aerith defended herself, crossing her arms. "But...if Jenova really is the threat that we think she is, maybe this is something they can't help me with. Maybe this is something I have to do without them."

"Right. You could fight this battle against Jenova without them, you could get hurt and they would never know or be there to help. Or you could be a team again and realize that you'll have friends that are there for you no matter what."

Aerith let out a sigh, "Zack, you're making this sound a lot simpler than it really is. I can't just go back to a normal life after everything that's happened. How do you think they would feel knowing I could die again? My friends? Cloud?" For a moment, Aerith couldn't find the words to say. She opened her mouth, but the words never came.

She sighed, "I saw what happened to him when I died. I saw how hurt he was." Aerith lowered her head, as her voice softened. "I don't want to do that to him again. I would rather live with the pain of knowing that I can't return to them, rather than going back for me to only be taken away again. I don't want to see his sadness again. It's too much."

"Aerith, I understand. But to come back and to do all of this? For them to not even know? I think the very reason why you want to hide...is why you have to show yourself. You care about them enough to not want to hurt them again, but it will hurt you instead. You know that Cloud and the others would be there to help you."

"I know." Aerith smiled lightly, raising her head. " I guess...I just have to think things through a little more before I decide what I want to do." Aerith extended her hand to grasp Zack's arm. "Thanks for...putting up with me."

"Don't mention it. I've seen you worse."

"Really? When!?"

"When we dated."

"Zack!" Aerith playfully punched the man in the arm, before he took off down the street.

The two had arrived at the docks by the ocean. They spotted the military ship that had been docked there, watching the military soldiers walking in and out of the ship, performing various duties. The two quietly crept along the sands of the beaches, creeping under the wooden beams of the dock, away from prying eyes. For a moment, Aerith questioned whether they were actually going to be able to get aboard the ship. She eyed the military soldiers, curiously.

Zack cautiously watched Aerith. "What are you thinking?"

Aerith turned to face him. "How to get onto that ship. That's the one that's going towards Corel and then switching course to the northern continent, right?"

Zack nodded, "Yeah, but these are military soldiers we're dealing with. I'll fit in fine. You on the other hand, will stick out like a chocobo running down the highway."

"Hmm. You might be right." Aerith raised a hand to brush against her chin. "Though, if we had some of those uniforms, we'd blend in perfectly."

"What exactly are you suggesting?"

"If we can get out hands on some of those uniforms, we'll be able to get onto that ship. Not to mention, it'll also be a pretty good disguise for me. If I ran into any familiar faces, I would doubt that they would ever even begin to think it was me..."

"Well, you're certainly very confident about all of this. And what if this plan doesn't work and we're, you know, CAUGHT."

"Shh! Keep your voice down!" Aerith silently whispered. "Don't worry, I've done this once or twice before with Cloud. I'm pretty good with keeping up appearances." She turned back to examine the soldiers. "Plus, I was running from the Shinra my entire life. I think I know a thing or to about how to take evasive measures."

Zack sighed, raising a hand to his head. "This entire damn this seems impossible, you know that?"

"I thought you told me to re-define what I thought was impossible?"

"Touche." Zack was surprised by Aerith's boldness. He knew that she was outgoing and spontaneous, but not when it came to things like this. "Let's just get on with it, then."

The two quietly crept down towards the edge of the docks, hidden behind the wooden beams. There, they quietly examined the several soldiers who were making their way about the ship.

"So, who are we gonna go after it?" Zack whispered in Aerith's ear. She continued to examine the soldiers. She peered at every pair until she came across two of the soldiers that were at the base of the ship, away from everyone.

She pointed towards the soldiers. "Those two."

Zack followed her fingers until he saw the two, who had clumsily dropped all of their armor along the beach.

Zack winced, "Ooh, good call." Zack looked over to her. "You ready?"

Aerith gave him a nod, before the two quickly made their way out of the harbor's docks and towards the beach. They had approached the two soldiers from behind, catching them off guard.

"Man, I still can't believe we met that guy! That was pretty cool, huh?" One of the soldiers said.

"Yeah." The other soldier said, clearly miffed that their armor had been scattered all along the beach.

Zack suddenly interjected, joining into the conversation between the two soldiers. "Yeah, yeah, pretty cool!"

Aerith raised her hand to her forehead and shook her head. 'What is he thinking?'

"Who the hell are you!?" One of the soldiers shouted.

"Sorry, let me just cut to the chase." Zack smiled. He took both of the soldiers by their helmets and slammed their heads into one another. The two soldiers clutched their heads before falling to the ground.

Aerith's eyes went wide, before going over to examine the two of them. "They're knocked out cold." Aerith raised her head to look at Zack. "Good job!"

"I always try." Aerith and Zack dragged the two soldiers unconscious bodies back underneath the harbor docks, where the darkness of the shadows obscured them from view. The two quickly stripped the soldiers of their uniforms and armor. They slowly changed into their new garments that they had just acquired.

"Well, this seems familiar. I always hated wearing damn things like this." Zack stated, somewhat distracted by trying to zip up the uniform's vest.

"Well, I can't say I like it, either, but it'll work just fine." Aerith tucked her loose hair into the collar of the shirt, making sure that it would not give away her feminine figure. She placed the helmet over her head, completely finishing her disguise.

Zack raised his eyebrows, "You know, you don't look too bad in that thing, actually. You might have been kickass if you ever made it into SOLDIER."

Aerith rolled her eyes, "Thanks. You are surprisingly not the first person that has told me that."

"Let's go."

The two made their way across the beach, leaving the sleeping soldiers under the docks. Zack slightly lagged behind Aerith, making sure that no one was suspecting anything unusual out of the two of them. He faced forward, as the two made their way towards the ship.

"Aerith, come on! At least try to make this convincing!" Zack whispered. "You walk like a woman!"

Aerith turned back and whispered just as quietly. "I AM a woman!"

"Not anymore you're not!" Zack quickly countered. "Butch up, for God's sake!"

Aerith tried to put more of a lean into her walk and made her arm movements seem lazier, as she walked up to the boat's landing. Zack could only roll his eyes. "Ok, we'll just have to work on this later."

The two arrived at the deck of the ship. All of the other soldiers were too busy doing their own errands to even pay the two any mind.

Aerith leaned over to Zack. "We're in."

* * *

Jenova appeared at the base of the City of the Ancients, pressing forwards through the dim forest. A chill swept through the air as Jenova passed. The forest branches froze and wilted from her cold presence, as she approached the lake that was found at the base of a shell fortress. The lake was Aerith's resting place, where Cloud had parted with her body for the last time.

A smile swept across Jenova's face when she recalled the events that happened during that night. How she watched Aerith descend down the steps into the forgotten city, only to wait for the opportune time for Cloud to arrive, so she could kill the Ancient right in front of him. Jenova has completed her desire to decimate the entire Cetra race and her thirst for power did not stop there. It continued to this very day, as the creature re-traced her steps into the shell fortress.

Once she arrived inside, she slowly made her way down towards the crystalline steps that led into the depths of the forgotten city. As she made her way onto the first step, a shield, a force greater than Jenova had blocked her entry and repelled her. "What?!" Jenova tried again, but the same effect re-generated. "It should open."

She could not pass through. From within her hands, a building meteor had emerged. The power of the spell had caused Jenova's limbs to tremble with the sheer force of the attack. She whipped her limb around and sent the fire ball flying towards the staircase, where the meteor exploded, sending fragments of fiery particles to extinguish throughout the room. The attack had done nothing. She made her way back towards the staircase, seeing the shield still enabled, a force much greater than her was blocking her. Blocking her from entering. Blocking her from obtaining the White Materia.

Jenova scoffed, as she soon realized. 'It must be that girl. She's returned. I can almost feel her presence in this world, somewhere. Sickening.' Jenova through another meteor into the shield, as if that was to somehow extinguish it. 'It has to be her. Only she can enter here and retrieve the White Materia.'

Jenova slithered away from the shell. 'I'll wait for her return. She'll come back, get the materia and then, I'll just have to kill her again.' Jenova thought, with a wicked smile.

* * *

Cloud and Yuffie had returned to the inn, where they had met back up with Cid and Shera.

"Hey guys! How'd things go out there?" Cid questioned, taking a puff from his cigarette.

"Pretty pointless," Yuffie stated, before marching off towards her own room.

Cid scratched the scruff on his chin and let out a grunt, "Didn't find anything, huh?"

"Not really." Cloud ran his gloved hand through his blonde, spiky locks. "Only that, if Jenova was out there, she'd be off by Corel."

"Yeah, right now." Cid spoke, "Hell, by the time we get over there, who the hell knows where she'll be! That thing gets around fast, you know!"

"This entire trip here was pretty pointless, I guess. We spent two days searching this place, when Jenova was on a different continent." Cloud clenched his hand into a fist. "Damn it..."

"Cloud, you know that this wasn't going to be easy, right?" Shera went over to the man and tried to persuade his anger. Shera understood Cloud's feelings and had come to care a lot about Cloud. She knew that there was a lot of goodness in Cloud, but he wasn't given many opportunities to show it. This was one of those moments. He wanted to save the planet, but it seemed like he wasn't off to a good start.

"I know." Cloud sighed, "I just hoped that we'd be able to take care of things a lot quicker. I don't want anyone else to be hurt by this mess anymore. I want it to be done with."

"We understand, Cloud. We really do." Shera patted Cloud on the shoulder. "We'll find Jenova soon and then we'll take care of her."

"Thanks, Shera." Cloud offered the woman a small smile. He knew that she was right. This adventure wasn't going to be easy, but if he was to doubt himself now, he would never be able to make it to the end.

"Yep! We can pick up the pieces tomorrow!" Cid shouted. "Once the other three get here, we'll make our way towards Junon and catch that ugly son-of-a-bitch! Ya can count on it, Cloud!"

"Alright." Cloud made his way towards his room, which was located just in-between Yuffie's and Cid and Shera's. "You guys rest up. We're going to have an early morning." Cloud entered into his room and shut the door behind him.

There was a feeling inside of him. Cloud felt that at this point, from this moment, everything was going to change. He would have been wrong to underestimate how much that was true.

* * *

Aerith and Zack sat on one of the sides of the ship. The night sky had fallen, the dark clouds making the moon from sight. The boat had set sail nearly two hour ago and was making a steady pace towards Corel. The boat gently swayed along with the waves, as the two listened to the gentle sounds of the waves crashing along the bottom of the boat. The wind blew across the ship's deck, but Aerith and Zack didn't seem to mind. They were too fixated on watching the ocean waves in the far distance.

"Here you go guys." One of the soldiers walked up to two and tossed them each a rifle. "Some provisions when we get to Corel. Don't waste your ammunition. We'll need it if we ever come across Jenova." The soldier walked off towards the other soldiers that were located throughout the ship.

"Talk about killing two birds with one stone." Zack leaned in to whisper to Aerith. "I didn't think that this boat would contain any army of soldiers wanting to kill Jenova. I guess they're on our side." Zack replied, with a smile.

"We're still not supposed to be on here." Aerith turned to him and let out a small laugh. "Let's just stick with our disguises for now, especially if Jenova is in Corel." Aerith sighed, lifting her knees up to her chest, the fabric of the uniform starting to make her itch. "I'd like the chance to at least get the white materia before she tries to kill me again."

"Hey."

Zack turned his face back to Aerith's masked face.

"I know you must have used this before." Aerith raised the rifle in her hands. Zack slightly chuckled, never thinking that he would ever see Aerith like this.

"Yeah, back in the day, I always used to use my sword, but I had to be trained with these, too. It was a requirement of SOLDIER."

"Good." Aerith looked down at the gun.

"What?" Zack coyly smiled at the young girl. "You need another bodyguard?"

"Nope. I don't need anyone to replace my last." Aerith turned to Zack. "Teach me."

Zack sat there, as a shocked expression formed on his face. His eyes widened, "You want me...to teach you how to use a gun!?" Aerith nodded and smiled in response. "...what the hell did Cloud do to you!? One day you're selling flowers for some money, the next you're sneaking into a military army and wanting to learn how to shoot guns?!"

"Shh!" Aerith laughed, in a quiet attempt to try and silence Zack. "If I really am going to Go up against Jenova, I want to make sure I'm prepared. Besides, I'm not going to go down without putting up a hell of a fight this time."

Zack raised his eyebrows, "Wow. You serious?"

Aerith nodded, "Yeah. I guess Cloud influenced me in some ways. Can't say I blame him, he always one to jump in first, then look later." Aerith smiled. "I guess...I admire that about him."

Zack nodded, "Yeah. You influenced him too, you know. If you asked me that the Cloud that we know now was the same Cloud I knew back in the day, I would have called you a liar."

"Hm. Maybe he found some influence in me."

Zack leaned over to Aerith. "Hey. I'm sorry for getting into that little spat with you earlier."

Aerith turned to him, "What do you mean?"

"When we were talking about how you wanted to keep this all a secret from your friends. I shouldn't have been so hard on you. This really is your journey, after all. It's your call to make."

"Thanks, Zack." Aerith smiled and nodded. "I wish I knew what the right thing to do was."

"Forget about the right thing." Zack turned to her with a serious expression on his face. "What do you want to do?"

Aerith thought for a second, before turning back to face the lapping ocean waves. She remained silent for just a moment.

"To have the chance to find him at least once."

Zack nodded and looked back at the ocean along with her. "Well, there's your answer."

Aerith sighed and clasped her arms in her lap. Her voice softened, "Right, but I'm not sure it would be best for him, though. I've told you, I don't want to see him be hurt anymore, even if it hurts me instead."

Zack looked at her. "You care about him." Zack's words weren't a question or observation, but a fact.

"Yeah," Aerith nodded, "but it's more than just that, Zack." She closed her eyes and tried to flash a small smile, which never really seemed to make it onto her lips.

Zack placed his hands on Aerith's shoulder. "I know, Aerith. I knew how you felt about him ever since you came to the Lifestream. I knew that the hardest part of being in the Lifestream was that you wanted to be back there with him."

"I know." Aerith turned to him. "That's why you had no hard feelings when I shot you down, right?" Aerith playfully punched the man in the arm.

"Hey!" Zack smiled and threw his arms up in defense against the woman. "I didn't!"

"Oh, c'mon Zack! Don't pretend that you didn't find any other company in the Lifestream!"

Zack sat there for a moment, "Oh, man..." He let out a quiet laugh. "I guess it doesn't really matter now, though. Besides, it's like I said, the two of you had really changed one another from the soldier and flower girl that I used to know. I didn't want to mess that up."

Aerith smiled at the man.

"Cloud is one of my best friends. I'm not gonna get mad at him if my ex had feelings for him." Zack smiled. "I respect him. You, too. I wouldn't want something in the past to affect the future, you know?"

"That was sweet, Zack." Aerith sighed, "I guess it's just strange to see how people change."

"It happens to all of us. We grow up, we find new aspirations and dreams. Life changes us. I can't change that you grew close with Cloud. I wouldn't want to, either."

Aerith silently agreed.

"You know, Aerith, I know that you have a lot of worries now that you're back, especially the ones about Cloud, but I think you'll know what to do soon."

"I hope you're right, Zack."

"You might be keeping that mask on now, but if you ever were to cross his path, I think that disguise will disappear real fast. Just like his did." Zack stood up and began to walk away.

"You think so?" Aerith watched the man's movement.

"Well, if two people are searching for each other, they will always find their way back to one another." Zack patted Aerith on the shoulder, before walking towards the opposite side of the ship.

Aerith lifted herself off of the ground and dusted her pants off. She headed towards the bow of the ship, walking past a few of the soldiers, who payed her disguised figure no mind. At the bow of the ship, she placed her hands on the metal railing and looked out onto the waves that trailed behind the boat's forward direction. The black night sky seemed to fall directly into the dark waves of the ocean, making it feel as if Aerith was traveling through the middle of it all.

She knew that she wanted to return to Cloud, to her friends. 'I wanted it to be under better circumstances, though.' She let out a sigh. 'I guess I have to face all of these emotions at once. I won't know how Cloud and the other will feel until we do meet again...'

Aerith clasped her hands together and rested her hands on her palms. She sat there, fiddling with the zipper of her vest, as she looked at the ocean waves. For a moment, she thought of Zack's words. 'If two people are searching for each other, they will always find their way back to one another.'

Aerith smiled slightly, but it soon fell. 'But I don't know where to begin searching for that way...' Aerith's lips pursed, as a sigh escaped, her head slowly lowering.

She removed her hands from the metal railing and placed them into the pockets of the uniform. To her surprise, she felt something in one of her pockets. She removed the object from her pocket and found a small folded piece of paper, something that the soldier must have been holding onto. Aerith looked around for a quick moment, to make sure that no one was around to see her. She opened the folded piece of paper and read the two words that were signed onto the paper.

_Cloud Strife_.


	8. Caught Red-Handed

**Chapter Eight - Caught Red-Handed**

Reno groaned as he opened his eyes, the brightness of the sunlight piercing through the opening of the tent. He felt so sleepy, but so incredibly relaxed at once. 'Mmm...just a little longer.' His head rested into the pillow, as he stretched out his arms, letting out a small yawn. He couldn't recall the events of the previous night. He didn't even remember getting into the tent at all. The entire day's events seemed to be one large blur to him. 'It's still too early to piece all that together.'

'I remember those damn snakes..." Reno let out a sigh, everything after that seemed to jumble together. Reno turned onto his side and saw Tifa's sleeping figure next to him, wrapped in her sleeping bag. Her chest slowly rose with each quiet breath that she inhaled. 'Oh, so that's how I got in here...' Reno smirked, slightly, lifting up his hand to Tifa's face, brushing away a few of the stray hairs that dangled in front of her eyes. When Reno tucked the strands behind her ear, Tifa's hand suddenly shot up to grasp his, as her eyes shot open.

Reno couldn't say that he was exactly surprised. He knew that Tifa was always rather alert to her surroundings. "Morning, sleepyhead." Reno smiled, sheepishly.

Tifa groaned, "I've been up for a while. I couldn't really get any sleep last night." Tifa sat up, running a hand through her hair in an attempt to straighten it out. She took the elastic off of her arm and began to pull her hair into a ponytail.

Reno sat up along with her. "So, what the hell happened yesterday?"

Tifa let out a sigh, "Well, after you got me out of the caverns, you collapsed. You've been out cold since then. I'm not really sure if it was the exhaustion or the fear that got to you, though..."

"I think it might have been a little of both, I guess." Reno was pretty terrified throughout the previous quest, so he couldn't even try to defend himself against Tifa. "Well, at least we're ok and we made it out of there."

"Yeah, Barret's fine, too. I'm pretty sure he's already up and starting to pack. It's still pretty early. The sun's still rising." Tifa opened the flap of the tent, as the bright rays of the sun shined through. "We're gonna be on the road in a few. We got a call from Cloud yesterday. He says that Jenova was spotted off in the Corel area. We'll be heading there as soon as we get to Junon."

"What a waste of a couple of days." Reno sighed, laying back down and resting his head in his pillow.

"Hey, no! No!" Tifa tried to pull out the pillow from underneath his head. "It's time to get up Reno! We're getting ready to leave."

He let out a frustrated growl. He knew that there was no sense in fighting against her. She would have remained as stubborn as ever until she got her way, "Fine! Just as long as I can sleep on the car ride there."

Tifa silently smiled at her victory. She turned around and begin to pack up her sleeping bag and a few of her other belongings strewn about the tent. She felt Reno's arms then wrap around her waist. The sudden unexpected embrace caused Tifa's body to become tense, as she took a quick intake of breath. Reno stood there for a moment, with his arms wrapped around her waist, his head leaning into her shoulder.

"Um, Reno...?"

Reno loosened his grip, but only a little. "Eh, sorry." The man let out a slightly nervous laugh. "I wanted to thank you for looking after me."

Tifa turned around to face the man, as Reno noted the slightly confused look on the woman's face. It took a moment for Tifa to speak. "It...was the honorable thing to do. You would have done the same for me."

"Yeah." Reno was glad that Tifa saw that in him. That even after all of their history together as enemies, that Tifa could still see that there was good in him. "Let me make it up to you."

Tifa slightly shook her head. "Oh, Reno, no. You really don't have to do that."

"No, I want to. I'm grateful." Reno smiled and crossed his arms in front of his chest. "I know it might be a little cliché, but how about I take you out some time?"

"Well," Tifa let out a small chuckle, "that sounds like it'll be more fun for you. What's in it for me?" Tifa let out a small smile, which she tried to cover with her hand.

Reno laughed at Tifa's reaction. "Well, it doesn't have to be a "date", I guess. It could be any favor that you'd want." Reno went back to wrap his arms around Tifa's waist, pulling her into another embrace. This time, Tifa was willing, but the surprise wasn't entirely gone. Tifa wrapped her arms around Reno's back and gave him a small squeeze. "Don't worry; I'll make it up to you someday."

Tifa pulled back from the embrace. Tifa gave a small smile to the man, but she felt a different emotion stir within her.

"Well, are you ready?" Reno questioned.

Tifa was caught off guard for a moment, her thoughts still elsewhere. "For-for what?"

"To get going."

"Oh, right." Tifa bent back down and continued to pack up her belongings. "Cloud did say that he wanted us to get there as soon as possible."

"Yep. I'll go get Barret and help him pack the rest of the buggy up, then." Reno said, as he exited out of the tent, carrying a few of his belongings with him.

Tifa sat there for just a moment, staring off into the direction that Reno was headed. 'What was that? That was...different.'

Tifa was never used to being close with Reno. Years ago, they were enemies. The two had fought several times and each time, Tifa could feel her anger for the man grow, especially when Reno would viciously taunt her throughout their confrontations. Since then, Tifa has seen a change in Reno.

He wasn't exactly someone that she would have called a "friend", especially after all that had happened between them, but the two of them had become closer to one another since that time. It wasn't until just this moment when Tifa had opened her eyes to all of this. The change in Reno's behavior and attitude did not go unnoticed by her. Even after all of their fights and confrontations, Tifa could still see that there was a lot of good in Reno, even if he never acted out on it; the potential was still there. She saw it just yesterday when he saved her and again, just moments ago.

'I wonder...' Tifa felt another emotion stir within her, a feeling that she had experienced once before, one that she thought she had forgotten about. The feeling was small and dim, but it was still existent. When Tifa saw how Reno had changed, how he had become easier to get along with, how the two of them had actually become closer, she may have never thought that she would think it, but she had already started to see Reno in an entirely different light. She liked what she saw.

* * *

Aerith awoke the next morning, her legs brought up to her chest, resting her head on her knees. 'Mmm...'

Aerith awoke with a start, shooting forward. "Huh!?" 'Oh, right...' For a moment, Aerith forgot that Zack and she had snuck onto the military ship the previous evening. She wasn't used to being in the living world just yet.

Aerith got up and dusted off the uniform which had been dirtied during the night. There were no beds or cabins on the ship, so she figured that a small corner in the cargo hold, away from all of the other soldiers would do just fine. She didn't want to be noticed by anyone anyway. 'Zack and I can't be caught...' She had fallen asleep with the piece of paper that she had found in her uniform the previous night, the once which had read Cloud's name. She didn't know what the piece of paper meant or what it was doing in the uniform in the first place, but Aerith saw it as a sign. She wanted to hold onto it.

She made her way out of the corner and continued up the stairs through the cargo hold. As she walked up the steps, she glanced out of one of the porthole windows. From within the window, she saw green, rolling grass plains. 'Must have docked early in the morning.'

Aerith made her way up the steps and arrived on the deck of the ship. It wasn't until she arrived there that she realized the error in parting with Zack during the previous night. She walked along the deck, glancing from soldier to soldier, noticing that there was no successful way in distinguishing one soldier from another. They were all wearing the same uniform, all had the same type of build and all of their faces were masked by the mandatory helmet that the soldiers had to wear.

'Which one is Zack...?' Aerith quickly glanced from soldier to soldier, trying to see if she could somehow catch any details that would clue her in to Zack' identity. 'Nothing. And it's not like I can go up to any of the soldiers and ask them, either. That'd pretty much give everything away.' Aerith nervously looked around the ship, feeling more pressure to find Zack. She felt the urge to call out to him, but knew that, by doing that, she would only end up alerting all of the other soldiers.

"Alright rookies, line up!" One of the lead commanders shouted, gaining the attention of the two dozen soldiers that were scattered about the ship. The soldiers formed into a straight line on the deck of the ship, facing towards the lead commander.

"We had a good head start out of Junon and gettin' over to Mideel, but now, things'll be gettin' tough out there." The commander paced down the line of soldiers. "Reports claim that Jenova is somewhere within the Corel/Gongaga region and it's our mission to eliminate the fiend. We've already notified the cities to send support recruits from Nibelheim, Corel and Gongaga. If we have a big enough army, we should be able to take that thing down."

Aerith continued to look around, seeing if there was a better opportunity to find Zack. 'It's not like he exactly sticks out. He used to be one of these guys, he blends in just fine. All the more trouble for me.' Aerith shifted her eyes between the soldiers.

The commander noticed Aerith's distracting state, as she looked back and forth across the deck of the ship. The commander grew frustrated and let out a low growl, as he approached Aerith. He hovered over Aerith for just a second, as the young woman could only stand there, quietly calming herself to not react. "You got a problem, rookie?" The commander asked, raising an eyebrow to the uniformed soldier.

All Aerith could do was silently shake her head, willing herself not to give away any clues towards her disguise. She froze there, not a single breath escaping from her lips, as she closed her eyes, waiting for the man to pass her. When he had done so, she let out a soft sigh of relief. 'I have to be more careful...'

"Now, we docked earlier this morning. We'll depart from here and search the area for any signs of Jenova. Our ship is going to then be heading towards the northern continent, to pick up some of our recruits who had been sent through Bone Village and Icicle Inn. Not too much activity going on up there now, so we're gonna pull our ranks out of there, too. I'll be goin' as well as a few of the other soldiers." The commander halted in front of them. "We split up by districts. The west district will stay behind, while everyone from the east district will be heading towards the northern continent."

Aerith looked around, as the soldiers began to merge into two groups. 'Good...at least now I might be able...to find...Zack?' Aerith had assumed that there would be at least one soldier not in either group, just like herself. She had assumed that it was to be Zack, but after looking around, all of the other soldiers seemed to know their rank. She was the only one left out. '...where is he?'

The commander looked over towards the lonesome soldier that was standing by the railing of the ship my themselves. He let out a frustrated groan and rolled his eyes, approaching the soldier again for the second time within the span of two minutes. "You again, rookie? What the hell's the matter with you? Show some god damn respect for your leaders!" The commander shouted, just inches away from Aerith's face. Aerith but her lower lip, trying as hard as she could not to react.

The commander tilted his head at the soldier, his face becoming blood-red. "Don't you got any damn thing to say?!"

Aerith stood there and shrugged, before nodding her head again. Aerith could feel the sweat on her brow, her hands became clammy, her heartbeat increased. It had been quite some time since she felt this nervous and she realized that she did not miss this feeling.

"That's it, rookie! Drop down and give me fifty sit-ups! NOW!" The commander shouted, his spit flying from his mouth, landing into Aerith's uniform.

Without hesitation, Aerith did as she was told and got down onto her back, resting her hands behind her head, before starting to perform the series of exercises. She had hoped that the commander would leave her alone, but that seemed futile when he stood there, staring at her, a gloating expression on his face. 'I'm getting really sick of this.' Aerith thought with a sigh, as her body began to adjust to the continuous muscle exercises. 'Just leave me alone already...'

The commander knelt down beside the soldier and continued to stare down what he presumed to be a man. The other soldiers decided to keep themselves distracted for the moment. They did not want to get involved with this. They had seen the commander's bad side before and it was not one to be taken lightly.

"What district are you from anyway? I'd feel sorry for them to have a worthless piece of shit like you among their ranks." The commander gloated of Aerith.

Aerith felt an internal rage begin to burn deep within her. She simply closed her mouth, her breath becoming heavier and rougher. She wanted to react but knew better than to just attack the man.

"What's your name anyway, rookie?" The commander stared down at the soldier, who simply sat there, continuing to do the exercises. The commander raised his voice again, his tone becoming deafening. "I SAID WHAT'S YOUR NAME."

Aerith saw the vein nearly pop out of the man's head when she refused to answer and continued to do the sit-ups.

The commander had reached his breaking point of disrespect for the day. He grabbed the soldier by the collar of their uniform with one of his hands, bringing the soldier forward. "WHO ARE YOU, YOU SON OF A BITCH!" The commander used his other hand to lift the helmet off of Aerith's head, as her loose brown locks fell from within the helmet's hold, draping down her shoulders.

"Aerith."

The commander backed up for a moment, a twisted look of surprise and shock on his face. He stared into Aerith's emerald eyes for a moment and stuttered. "Y-you're a...GIRL?!" The commander loosened his grip on her collar, letting her go.

Aerith backed up for a moment, the same anger and frustration building up inside of her. "No." She stared into the man's eyes. "Woman."

For a moment, Aerith felt herself fall out of reality, as if everything went black for a moment, as she was overcome with rage and adrenaline. She rose up her right fist to connect with the man's jaw, hitting the man with the powerful blow. The commander reeled back, clutching the side of his lip that had started to draw a light blood.

'What...was that? That...wasn't me.' Aerith thought to herself, unsure of what had just taken over her body. From the looks of the commander's expression, Aerith did not want to stay around to endure any more of his wrath. She quickly got up to her feet, grabbed her helmet and sprinted off towards the bow of the ship, away from the commander and soldier groups. In that instant, she had nowhere else to run and she had already been caught. 'At least Zack is okay, I hope.'

Aerith leaned over the railing and saw the depths of the ocean below. The ocean surface was about twenty to thirty feet away, so the fall was not too steep. Aerith hesitated for a moment, before climbing over the railing. She stopped for a moment, as she saw the commander and the other soldiers chase after her. 'Why am I finding all of this...fun?' Aerith thought with a smirk.

She felt like she was getting a thrill out of all of this excitement. It had been awhile since she felt this exhilaration, this adrenaline that powered her. It felt like she was living in an adventure that one could only hear tales about. She loved it.

She grasped onto the railing for a moment longer before thrusting herself off of the edge of the ship. As she fell, she felt as though her heart was flying up her throat from the drop, before landing into the cold depths of the deep ocean.

The commander and soldiers looked over the edge of the railing, as they watched Aerith emerge from the surface of the water, gasping for a few breaths, before slowly making her way towards the coast a few yards before her.

The commander stood there for a moment and shook his head. "Damn..."

One of the soldiers jokingly nudged him in his sides, amused. "Sir, I think you just got knocked out by a girl."

"No." The commander shook his head, clutching his jaw. "Woman."

Aerith swam her way to the coast, which was just located off of the forest. She couldn't say for sure where she was on the planet, but she assumed that she must have been somewhere between Gongaga and Corel.

When she made her way onto the coast, she uncomfortably walked her way to the wooded area, hating the feeling of her drenched soldier uniform. 'I can't wait until I can get out of this thing.'

She looked around for a moment, as if sensing someone nearby. She took another step forward, trying to get a better look through the area. She wasn't sure what was in the woods, but she knew that it would find her within moments and she had to prepare herself. It wasn't until then that she noticed the soldier moving through the brush, his black hair contrasting against the various green plants throughout the forest.

"Zack?"

"Hey, Aerith!" Zack approached the young woman, before noticing her appearance. "Ehm, what happened to you?"

"I got caught." Aerith brought her hands up and ran them through her soaked-through hair, attempting to squeeze out as much water as possible. "That commander wasn't the nicest guy and he found me, so I sort of...punched him and jumped off the ship."

Zack stared at her for a moment, before bursting into a hearty laugh. "You're a piece of work, you know that!?"

"It's not funny!" Aerith shook her head at the man. "I didn't want to be caught this early on. We only just started this journey. Why didn't you come find me before you left the ship?"

"Right, because it was so easy to spot you." Zack said sarcastically, pointing to her uniform.

"I had the same problems finding you. It's the worst part of this disguise."

"Ah, so you're still sticking with the whole disguise thing. Even after everything that we talked about last night?"

Aerith nodded. "Well, last night opened my eyes to many things. I guess I'm just dealing with all of the emotions of coming back at once. It made me nervous, scared and happy all at the same time. I knew coming back wasn't going to be easy, but to actually experience the feeling of it is completely different than wondering what it would be like."

Zack nodded his head in agreement. He too had imagined what it would be like to return to the living world, but he could agree. Wondering it and living it were two very different things.

"But you were right." Aerith turned to Zack and smiled. "Remember when you asked me what I wanted most out of all of this. I want to find Cloud." She sighed and smiled. "After last night, I realized that hiding myself wouldn't be right to them. I guess coming back made me very scared about a few things. But if what you said was true, then I'll be fine. My friends will always be there to help me, just like I would do for them."

"And what about Cloud?" Zack began to lead her into the forest.

Aerith thought for a moment. "Well, when I do find him, I'll just make sure that I deal with things very carefully. I wouldn't want him to have another breakdown, you know?"

"We don't really know what will happen with Jenova yet, though. Don't write yourself off just yet. If you tell Cloud, yeah, it will hurt him, but that'll only make him stronger. You saw what happened to him the last time you left. If he was to hear that you might die again, do you think he'd just sit there? I don't see that happening."

"You're right, Zack." Aerith smiled and turned. "I want to be there for him. I want to be there to make Cloud stronger."

"You already started. We use our strengths to give us our reasons to continue fighting."

"Well, I already know what my strength is. I know what I'm fighting for. I'll get the White Materia back, I'll find Cloud and then I'll stop Jenova."

"And you'll do it without dying."

Aerith turned to him and let out a whisper. "We'll see."

"So, you're willing to go as far as it takes?"

Aerith simply replied, "Farther."

Zack nodded and smiled, looking back in the direction that they came from. "So, where exactly do we head to from here? We have to get to the northern continent." Zack turned back to stare at the military ship that was still docked off at the coast, "Though, I don't think we'd be welcome back on there."

Aerith let out a small laugh. "No, I suppose not."

"I guess we can just make our way towards Corel, then? Maybe someone there could help us head up north?"

"I guess it won't hurt. It's better than sitting around here and doing nothing." Aerith turned to him. "Hey, aren't we by Gongaga? You could go visit your parents."

"Yeah, I could, but I want to help you out first. Besides, not to thrilled over the idea of bringing my ex back to my parents' house."

"Zack, you're awful!" She playfully slapped his arm. "You never told them about me, did you?"

"No, I didn't." He shook his head. "Things happened pretty quickly. It felt like as soon as we started dating, things just made it complicated."

"Yeah, they were. Wrong place, wrong time, I guess. I was still just a girl when we started dating." Aerith smiled, "You were the first boy I ever liked, but when I started sending you those letters, I think I already knew that whatever was between us was over."

Zack raised his hand to scratch through his hair. "You know, I sort of used to wonder how things would have been if they turned out differently..."

"I did, too, after you had left. I didn't know that you had died, though." Aerith nodded her head. "Now that I do though, thank you, Zack, for helping me make it through."

He stared back at her. "You don't have to thank me. We were both there for each other."

"Besides, let's not pretend that I was the only girl out there. I know you were a lady's man." She playfully poked him in the stomach.

"What? What!? What do you mean...?"

"Cissenei." Aerith looked around for a moment, as if the words came out of nowhere.

"Oh...yeah..., well, I think she was kinda into me." He laughed nervously. "You know about that?"

She rolled her eyes, "Yep. No hard feelings, though. I'm a woman. We understand this sort of thing."

"Hmm. Like Cloud and Tifa?"

She looked back at him. "What?"

"Well, you said it yourself. You said that you understand that sort of thing."

"I do. I knew that there was something between Cloud and Tifa, but she told me that they were just friends. I could see that Tifa felt something towards him, though." She sighed, "I should have known better than to act out on my feelings, I guess."

Zack gripped her shoulders. 'Hey, forget about it. It's all in the past now. We've moved on, all of us." He wrapped his arms around the woman, who returned the light embrace. "Things didn't work out between them or us, but we can't let the past affect the present."

Aerith slightly parted from the embrace.

Zack grinned, "I wouldn't worry about any of that anymore. I saw you and Cloud together from the Lifestream and I could see how things were different. I saw the way that Cloud looked at you and that pretty much said it all."

Aerith's curiosity was pulled, grinning at the taller man.

"Well, let's say that I recognized the look on his face because it was the same one that I used to give you." Aerith looked at him, wondering if Zack could actually see the way that Cloud had felt towards her.

"Really?" Aerith knew that there was always something special between her and Cloud. She just never truly got the chance to find out from him. She recalled Cloud's words for a moment. 'But I'm...we're here for you.' She smiled, 'Oh Cloud, even trying to keep up your tough guy act to a sweet flower girl.'

"Oh yeah, I know he doesn't say much, but if you took a good look at him while he's around you, it's really not that hard to see how he feels. But don't let me say anything else! I think it'd be fun to watch him fumble over his words when he can tell you himself."

Zack smiled at the slightly dazed grin that had appeared on her face. "You really are a great friend, Zack."

He smiled cheekily. "Heh, heh, I know." They continued to make their way through the forest.

"You know, growing up in the slums, it was like the church became my home. I felt lonely a lot of the time. I knew my role as a Cetra, I knew that there was a great destiny for me, but I didn't know what it was at the time." She felt her heart sink just a bit. "I grew up, but I still didn't really know who I was. It was in that same church where I met Cloud. It seems like everything began there."

"Yeah." He returned a smile.

"I realized that I was the only one who could save the planet. I guess I am the only one that still can. That's when I understood." She looked down into her palms. "When I died, Cloud was still there for me. He came for me, that's all that mattered. He never left, no matter what happened in my life." She looked up as she felt a tear slide down her cheek, before she quickly wiped it away. "We all fought together, we used our power to defeat Sephiroth together. Even when I was gone, I never really left at all, did I? I lived inside of their hearts."

Zack smiled. Her words were inspiring.

"I never left him, not once." She smiled, as if she could finally see a light in the darkness after all this time. Aerith stepped forward. "That's why I don't need this." She dropped her helmet to the ground.

"I promised him that I would come back, one day, after it was all over." She looked towards the sky, as if one night had changed her entire reason to come back. "He never left me and I'm not going to leave, either. He was always there to fight for me. I want to see him again, even if it's only to see his smile once more."

* * *

Cloud awoke in the morning and began to pack his things, ready for Tifa and the others to arrive. They'd be boarding the Highwind and heading towards Corel as soon as they reached Junon. There was no time to waste in tracking down Jenova.

Cloud left the hotel room with a bag of his things, before heading outside to spot Cid.

"That everything?" The man took a puff from his cigarette.

Cloud nodded, handing over the bag to Cid. "Yeah, we should be good to go."

"I talked to Barrett just a little bit ago. Said they were about an hour away, so they should be here any minute now."

"Ok, I'll go get Yuffie and make sure that she's all set to go. Once the others get here, we'll be taking a direct route towards Corel."

"Gotcha." Before Cloud walked off to find Yuffie, the older man shouted back to Cloud. "Hey, I fixed your bike, yesterday! It's waiting in the cargo hold of the ship. Take it out for a spin sometime! Some good stuff there."

"Appreciate it, Cid."

Cloud walked over towards Yuffie's room which was just next door and knocked. He waited for a moment before knocking again. 'Where is she?'

He walked away from the door and glanced around the corner of the building. He looked around for a moment, before spotting Yuffie examining a shaft at the back of the small village. 'Do I even want to know...?' He quietly approached the young woman, curious to see what exactly she was doing.

She heard the man approach and spun around to see him. "Hiya, Cloud!"

He eyed her curiously, "Yuffie, we're about to head out. You should get packed. What...are you doing, anyway?"

"Don't worry, all packed!" Yuffie pointed towards the shaft. "When I was finished, I swear I heard something coming from down there. I wanted to check it out!"

Cloud sighed and rolled his eyes. "You know that leads to the underwater reactor, right? I doubt there's anything down there at all."

"Shh! Listen!" She silenced him, "Don't you hear it? Come on, let's go." She grabbed his arm and tried to pull him down into the shaft.

Cloud tugged his arm away and shook his hands at her. "Not interested." It wasn't that he didn't believe Yuffie, but he knew that they would be heading out soon anyway and he did not want to be side-tracked by this mission. He began to drag the young girl away, as she continued to look back towards the entrance. "Yuffie, come on. It's probably nothing. What would be going on down there?"

* * *

The submarine pulled back into the loading dock, as Rufus emerged from the submarine, holding the crate containing the glowing red destructive materia. He was followed out of the submarine dock by Rude, Elena, Tseng, Reeve and Vincent. He placed the crate down on the floor and walked along the docking platform at the base of the underwater reactor.

Rude silently followed him.

"So...mission accomplished?" Elena questioned, looking towards the other Turk members.

"Not quite." Rufus directed his response towards the woman. "Now, we head north towards the crater. We will activate this materia and destroy Jenova's cells and most of the continent. We'll extract the Lifestream source that will appear from the continent's destruction and we'll leave Cloud and the others to deal with the monster themselves. I don't want to get my hands too dirty in all of this."

He turned his head when he heard a slight click. "I would say it's already too late." Rufus saw Vincent standing before him, with a gun pointed towards the man's head.

"Vincent!? What the hell are you doing?" Reeve approached the taller man, trying to persuade him.

In that instant, the air in the docking area grew heavier. The tension grew, as Rufus and the Turks stood there, Vincent's gun still directed towards Rufus.

"Vincent, stop!" Tseng removed his own pistol from within his suit pocket and aimed it towards the man.

Rufus stood there for a moment and smiled. "So, this is the true face of the Turks? Willing to kill one another for someone else's own doing? You are all more cutthroat than I thought and I couldn't be prouder."

"Enough." Vincent took a step closer to the former president, aware that Tseng still had his gun pointed towards his back. "We know that you're trying to deceive us. What do you want with the Lifestream? Rufus, tell us your true intentions behind this. You wouldn't care less if Jenova was truly a threat to the planet."

Elena took a step towards Rufus, "Boss..."

Rufus waved her off. "I would care greatly. If Jenova was to destroy this world, did you think I would just be willing to give up after all of the years I spent working to create my empire?"

"Shinra is done!" Reeve shouted towards Rufus. "You're company is gone and whatever work you have done is all for nothing at this point."

"True." Rufus smiled at the man. "But not for long. Once Jenova is defeated, I will use the power of the Lifestream to re-create the Shinra Company and I will become the most powerful man in the world again."

"Stop daydreaming!" Reeve shouted.

"No." Vincent took a step closer to the man. Elena flinched by the man's actions. "I will not allow you to destroy any more lives to quench your bloodlust. It is your own thirst for power that will bring your downfall."

Rufus simply laughed, "If that's the price that has to be paid, so be it. The Shinra Company will rise again and you, nor Cloud or Jenova will be able to do anything to stop it."

Vincent placed his finger on the revolver's trigger and slightly applied pressure. A shot was heard as Tseng shot the gun, the bullet ricocheting Vincent's gun out of his hand. Vincent grasped his wrist for a moment, only feeling a slight pain from the force of the bullet.

"Rude, let's go!" Rufus bent down and picked up the crate holding the materia. Rufus quickly made his way towards the door, followed by Rude.

"Rude, stop!" Elena chased after the man. "What are you thinking!?" Rude saw the expression on Elena's face and saw a mixture of sadness and betrayal.

"..." Rude turned around and followed Rufus out of the door.

"What the hell's gotten into him?" Reeve turned around to face the others.

Rufus and Rude walked down the glass corridor that led back to the entrance elevator shaft.

"We have to move. We'll make our way back to the copter..." Rufus placed the crate on the ground and opened the lid. He removed something from within the crate, "but not before using this." He pulled out the small explosive device. "Another useful weapon I salvaged from the Gelnika."

Rude's mouth opened in shock, as he adjusted his glasses. "Sir, you can't! Abandoning them down here is enough, but that will kill them."

"Exactly." Rufus placed the device down at the far end of the corridor. "Now that they know my plans, they'll try to stop me. The Shinra Company will be reborn, but it won't happy without an awful lot of bloodshed." Rufus set the bomb. "I said a casualty or two was no big deal, right? You should be lucky that you're in here instead of back there with them. Come on, let's go." The bomb started to tick away.

Rufus continued his way back down the corridor, as Rude looked behind hin one more time, before deciding to follow the man towards the elevator.

Back in the submarine dock, Tseng approached Vincent. "Sorry, Vincent. I didn't have the intention to actually do you any harm. I wanted to make sure that you wouldn't do anything reckless."

"I'm not going to let that man cause any more pain to anyone." Vincent snarled, "That company's already caused so much pain and death, to everyone, to myself. It was that company that caused the thing I cherished most to be taken away from me." He darkly stated, "I am fighting for the repentance of my sins. I will not allow him to win."

"We should have never gone along with him in the first place." Reeve shook his head, feeling betrayed. "We couldn't expect that, after all this time, things would change. Shinra will always be the same. I think we should be glad that we got out of there when we did." He pointed towards Tseng and Elena. 'I don't know what you guys are still doing hanging around. How did you manage to end up in his pocket?"

"I thought Rufus was a different person." Tseng sighed, "It wasn't until I found out what his true intentions were that I realized he was the same man. I didn't realize that the destructive materia would kill the person who activated it."

"What?" Elena asked, confused.

"He didn't tell you, either? He was planning on tricking one of us into doing it for him. I guess he'll have to find a new guinea pig."

"Well, what if he does." Elena stated, with worry in his eyes. "He's the former president, for God's sakes. What if he gets Cloud or Rude or someone else to do it for him?"

"That's why he has to be stopped." Vincent stated, matter-of-factly.

"You're going, too?" Reeve questioned Elena and Tseng, who both nodded their heads.

Tseng smiled, "I guess we picked the wrong side...again. Let's get out of here, we'll find some way to track him down and intercept him at the northern crater."

The four exited the submarine dock and entered into glass corridor, where they noticed a distinctive beeping sound. They looked around for a moment wandering what it was, as they didn't notice it when they first came down into the area.

"What the hell is that...?" Reeve questioned the small box in the corner of the atrium. He saw it then.

_19...18...17...16..._

He turned around to face the others, "Guys! Run!" The four quickly turned around and sprinted down the corridor.

Tseng looked behind his shoulder. "Damn, man! He's trying to kill us!"

"If you remain distracted, he'll succeed." Vincent shot, quickly.

The group made their way down to the end of the corridor when they realized that the elevator had not yet lowered from when Rufus and Rude used it previously.

"Damn it! What the hell are we supposed to do now? We're done for!" Reeve looked behind him at the device.

"Take my hand." Vincent stretched out his clawed hand, extending it out towards the group. He looked up towards the surface, towards Junon. "And brace yourself."

The three others quickly took hold of Vincent's hand, as they ducked and tried to cover for the impending explosion.

_3...2...1..._

The bomb detonated in the corner of the corridor. The blast was deafening, as fiery sparks flew about the wing. The glass walls broke, shattered pieces of glass flying about, as a torrent of water pummeled through the now gaping walls of the underwater reactor. The water gushed through the openings, quickly flooding the place, as the bomb's detonations caused a fury of fire and smoke to surge throughout the corridor.

In an instant, the water and fire pummeled towards the Turks, Vincent's cape wrapped around them, as they suddenly shot up towards the surface. For an instant, none of them knew what was happening. They felt their bodies morph and twist in shape with Vincent's cape, as if they were made of air. They had disappeared for a moment, as the dark red thing that they had become had skillfully leaped its' way up the elevator shaft. It was like they had become a wispy cape traveling against the wind, leading them to freedom.

* * *

"It's about time you guys made it here."

"Yeah, sorry. We ran into a little trouble yesterday." Tifa stated, approaching Cloud and the others.

"That damn cave was a friggin' nightmare. Never taking a stroll through there again." Reno sighed, sitting down at one of the benches by the hotel.

Yuffie smiled, "Ooh, the Mythril Mines, fun stuff!"

"What the hell is wrong wit' you, girl? You need to re-think what fun is! That shit ain't fun!" Barret shouted, a bit too loudly.

Yuffie smiled and brushed off Barret's remark. "Well, at least I'm glad to see you two okay. Eh, forget about Reno."

The red-headed man sighed and rolled his eyes, "I'm so overwhelmingly happy to see you, too."

"So, Cloud, where to now? Corel, right?" Tifa looked over towards the blonde-haired man.

"Yeah. Cid and Shera are already at the Highwind. They'll be picking up the buggy just outside of the city and we'll go to meet them there. We should reach Corel by the afternoon and we'll track down Jenova from there."

"There he goes again." Barret let out a hearty laugh. "Bein' the damn leader! Or at least thinkin' he is!"

Cloud smiled and shrugged, "Well, someone's gotta do it and it sure as hell is not gonna be you."

Tifa let out a laugh and patted Cloud on the back. "Play nice, kids."

"So, can we get outta here? I just want to get onto that flying heap of garbage so we can-"

Reno was cut off when they felt the sudden ground shake. At first, it was subtle, but with each passing second, the rumbling proceeded to grow more intense. The earth was rumbling, as they looked around, curious as to what was happening.

"What's happening?" Tifa looked around, nervously.

"An earthquake!?" Yuffie shouted, uncertainly.

From around the corner, there was a blast. They quickly glanced around the corner to see a plume of water shoot out from the shaft of the underwater reactor. The water catapulted forward, flooding parts of the village, falling down the hillside back into the ocean.

Yuffie ran forwards, "AHA! I told you something was going on down there, Cloud!"

"What the hell is that?" Cloud ran forward, stopping next to the young ninja. Barret, Tifa and Reno kept their distance behind the two. 'Of course, we spend days here of finding absolutely nothing, but right as we leave, this happens...'

From within the plume of water, a dark red airy thing shot from within, floating about the area, in a somewhat orderly, yet erratic way.

"What the hell is THAT?" Cloud repeated again. It was the same thing that he saw days earlier on the upper streets of Junon. "Yuffie, it's that thing I saw before! Catch it!"

Yuffie leaped forwards to try and catch the moving thing, but it only evaded her. Cloud seized the opportunity to catch the thing off guard and leapt forwards, knocking the red, airy thing towards the ground. When Cloud had reached the ground, bringing the thing down with it, he suddenly felt a person fall down on top of him.

He looked behind his shoulder. "...Vincent?" Cloud took a look around and noticed that Elena, Tseng and Reeve were also surrounding him, rubbing their heads and aching muscles. It felt as though they were just hit by a car and they were still experiencing the pain of it all. "That thing...was you? What are you guys all doing here?"

Tseng spoke up, approaching the team. "Rufus tricked us into coming here. He also wants to take down Jenova, except his intentions don't exactly fall in line with everyone else's."

"He's going to use a destructive materia to wipe out most of the northern continent." Reeve approached Cloud. "He wants to destroy Jenova's cells, but from there, he's going to extract the Lifestream from the planet's wound. He wants to use it to re-create the Shinra Company or something."

"What?!" Cloud growled. After all this time, Cloud had thought that Rufus had put aside his history with the Shinra Company. Cloud, like most people, was just another pawn in Rufus' plan.

"He tricked us." Elena approached them. "All of us. We should've listened to you guys from the start. We've seen what the Shinra has done to people."

"I guess after seeing it from our perspective, you changed your view?" Tifa approached Elena, who gave her a confirming nod.

"I ain't sitting back and letting that dumb ass get his way. Not again!" Barret yelled. "I'll make sure we give him a good fight!"

"Right!" Yuffie agreed, "He can help us take down Jenova, but from there, we'll be calling the shots!"

Vincent approached Cloud. "So, what are you going to do?"

Cloud looked at the man, thinking for a moment. "I think...we need a change of plans. Come on guys, follow me!"

Cloud led the group out of Junon, back towards the Highwind.

* * *

Aerith made her way through the forest, as Zack trailed just slightly further ahead. They had been walking for about an hour now and believed that they were almost at the edge of the woods, leading towards Corel.

She fiddled with one of the buttons on her uniform as she walked. Aerith had thought a lot about everything earlier, about Cloud, Jenova and this whole journey. She was still unsure about a lot of things, but she had a determined strength within her to move forward. 'I have my own reasons to fight, too.'

It was then when she heard something coming from within the woods. She glanced in the direction which the noise came from. "Zack...?" 'No, wait, it couldn't be Zack.' She had seen Zack trail off in another direction. This thing was coming from within the trees and thick mossy knolls just next to her. Aerith gulped, as she felt her heartbeat increase, her gasps for breath coming faster. She looked around for any form of defense, any weapon of sorts that she could use to her advantage. There was nothing.

From within the trees, she made out a single eye, beaming towards her. It looked like a wolf of sorts. It was then, Aerith froze in fear. She felt paralyzed, unable to move, as if this being was staring into her soul. She could hear the rough, ragged breaths coming from the being, which sent a cold, fierce shiver down her spine. There was another noise that appeared within the brush, before the creature leapt forward, ambushing Aerith.

She jumped back and let out a quick gasp, fear overtaking her, as she watched the wolf-like creature approach her.

Aerith's eyes widened and she let out a relieved sigh, her breath catching up to her, "...Red..."

"Aerith...", the red wolf approached her. It took a moment for him to believe it was actually her. He couldn't exactly picture her in the soldier uniform she was wearing. "Is it really you?"

Aerith smiled and nodded, "Yes, Red. It's me." She crouched down to pet Red on the tip of his nose, leading towards his furry scalp. Aerith let out a laugh when Red bent his head into the movement of her hand. "I missed you."

"I missed you, too." Red looked at her, perplexed. "But how are you back? Do any of the others know that you're back?"

"No, not yet. I want to see them, though. I'm here to help stop Jenova again. The Cetra allowed me to come back, but it's at a price." Aerith sighed; she saw a glint of sadness in Red's eyes. "What's wrong, Red?"

"I don't want to see you get hurt again."

Aerith smiled, "You have nothing to worry about." She had decided in that moment not to tell Red of the prediction of her fate. 'I'll keep it to myself for now.' "I'm just happy to see you! What are you doing all the way out here?"

"I was on my way from Cosmo Canyon. Bugenhagen's there, as lively as ever."

"That's wonderful." Aerith recalled the lively man, who was already hundreds of years old. He was such a source of wisdom and knowledge about the planet. She respected Bugenhagen as a truly remarkable man. "Me and my friend are actually on our way to Corel. We're looking for a way to get over to the City of the Ancients."

"Why would you want to go back there?"

"I need to get the White Materia back. It's the only way I can stop Jenova."

Red looked at her for a moment. "And you didn't want Cloud or the others to help you?"

Aerith bit her lip and gave a small smile. "I didn't at first. I didn't want any of them to get involved with all of my troubles again."

"Aerith, we're your friends. We're here to help you."

"Thanks, Red." Aerith gave him another small pet on his head. "We're gonna head over to Corel to see if maybe there is someone who could help us get over to the northern continent."

"Would you mind if I came with you?" Red questioned.

Aerith was slightly shocked by Red's question, but not entirely. "You want to help me?"

"I'm your friend. You helped me in the caverns back at Cosmo Canyon all those years ago, now I want to help you. That is, if you'll allow me."

Aerith smiled at the wolf. "I'd love to, Red. You were always one of my favorites. Come on, we have a lot of catching up to do."

The two had made their way back towards the edge of the forest, where they had met back up with Zack, who was rather surprised at the red, fiery wolverine that appeared by Aerith's side.

"Um, Aerith...who is that?" Zack questioned, pointing towards Red.

"Oh, this is a Red, Zack. He's a friend of mine and Cloud's. He's helped us out so many times."

"You know Cloud?" Zack questioned.

"Yes. I met him at the Shinra Headquarters when he came to rescue Aerith a few years ago."

"Ah, Cloud's always the one to make a scene." Zack laughed. "Cloud and I are old buddies, we go way back. Yeah, he's a good guy."

"Aerith is letting me join you journey, if you don't mind." Red began to lead them towards the edge of the woods.

"Not at all, Red." Zack grinned at the red wolverine. "Any friend of Aerith is a good friend of mine."

Aerith stepped back for a moment, as she watched the two continue to walk through the forest, talking to one another. It made her feel proud to see that two of her friends, who once did not know each other, were able to form a friendship because of her. She smiled at the two, happy that she was able to reunite with two of her good friends. 'Maybe things aren't going to be as hard as I thought.'

"Come on, Aerith! Are you coming?!" Zack shouted back to her.

"On my way!"

* * *

"We're changing course."

Cloud had told Cid about their plans to intercept Rufus at the northern crater. Cloud stood at the front of the cockpit, while Cid frantically sat about the control panel, switching a series of knobs and bulbs. Tifa, Barret, Yuffie, Reno, Vincent, Tseng, Elena and Reeve were also scattered about the cockpit, waiting for Cloud's instructions.

"Whaddya' mean changing course?!"

Cloud stepped forward. "Corel will have to wait for now. If Rufus is really as dangerous as we think he is, he has to be stopped."

"He is, Cloud." Tseng stepped forward. "He's going to use someone to activate the destructive materia, but it'll kill that person. He tricked us into helping him out."

"Right. He might be helping us stop Jenova, but after she's gone, he's only gonna make this place into a shithole again!" Barret stated.

"That's why we're going to stop him before we give him the chance." Cloud stated. "I won't allow him to start all of these problems again."

"Neither will I." Vincent stepped forward. "I'll fight to defeat the Shinra Company until my last, dying breath."

Tifa stepped forward, "I thought the Shinra Company was done for years ago. I guess we can give them one more fight, right?"

"Right." Cloud smiled and nodded at Tifa.

"Eh..." Reno stuttered, "Keep in mind though, Rufus isn't the only thing we'll have to deal with. That crater is crawling with Jenova's cells. Who knows what the hell might be waiting for us in there."

Yuffie jumped forward, "Good! That way we can kill two birds with one stone! And I do mean KILL!"

"Yuffie, calm yo' ass." Barret grunted, Yuffie's excitement making him somewhat nervous about the upcoming mission.

Cloud turned towards Cid, who was continuing to play with a few nozzles on the control panel. "Cid, power up the engines and get ready for flight! We're heading for the northern crater."

After Cloud had given his orders, the group had scattered about the plane. It would still be an hour or so before they could reach the northern continent. Now, all they could do was sit around, wait and prepare themselves for what was to come.

Soon, they had taken off into the air, blazing towards the blue sky, heading out of Junon, towards the northern continent.

Cid soon came over the intercom. "We're makin' a direct route for the crater! We'll be there soon!"

Cloud left the cockpit, making his way through the Maintenance Bay. There, he saw Elena, Tseng and Reeve gathered in a corner, talking amongst them. He continued to make his way through the plane. He had assumed that Yuffie was in the Meeting Room area, maybe along with Barret or Vincent. He spotted Shera walking about the Engine Room. He crossed his way through the Maintenance Bay and made his way up the metal staircase that led to the deck of the plane.

When he arrived at the deck of the plane, he spotted Tifa leaning against one of the railings with Reno next to her. The wind whipped her hair about, but she didn't seem to mind.

Cloud approached the two, who both noticed his presence at the same time. "He giving you a hard time?" Cloud shot a small smile towards Tifa.

"Like usual." Tifa sighed and gave Reno a pat on the shoulder. Reno rolled his eyes and walked over towards the other side of the ship.

Cloud rested his hands on the railing next to Tifa.

"So, you think this will work?" Tifa turned to face Cloud.

"I'm not sure." Cloud stated, genuinely. "I hope it will, but things don't always seem to go as we'd want them to. I don't know what's going to happen." There was a hint of sadness in Cloud's voice.

Tifa sympathized and placed a hand on Cloud's soldier. "I know. This entire journey is reminding me of everything that happened three years ago." Tifa sighed, "I hoped that things would finally be over with, but you're right, things don't always work out the way we think they will."

"Yeah." Cloud tried to let out a small smile, but it never really came about. "Back then, each of us had our own reasons to fight. We had personal struggles; we lost our family and friends, our homes. Even now, we still have our reasons to continue fighting for what we believe in."

"You're right, Cloud." Tifa smiled at the man. "I think we'll come through just fine." Tifa brushed her hair out of her eyes. "You know, I wanted to apologize for everything. I've wanted to tell you for a while now."

"What do you mean?"

"Just everything that happened between us when we lived in Nibelheim. I'm sorry for never really giving you a chance to become friends until you left, when we made that promise."

"Right." Cloud smiled at her, "When I left to "join" SOLDIER."

Tifa let out a small laugh. "You know, I felt bad that I didn't really talk to you until right before you left for SOLDIER. If I could, I would have fixed all of that long ago, as well as everything that happened during our first journey."

Cloud shook his head and smiled. "It's alright. I think...we've come too far to let stuff like that affect our friendship now. I wasn't always right, either. Let's just say that we're even from here on out?"

"That sounds nice." Tifa gave a genuine smile. "But anymore stupid moves and I'm gonna have to give you another lecture, mister!" Tifa playfully punched the man in the shoulder.

Cloud laughed and shook his head, "No! We wouldn't want that."

Tifa laughed and noted Cloud's changed personality. It wasn't something that she noticed often. It came about right at the time he was cured of his Geostigma. Tifa leaned back over the metal railing and looked down towards the ocean below, a slight mist floating up. "It's strange how time changes people, huh? I never thought either of us would become the people that we are now."

"Yeah."

"We're still together, even after all this time. Barret, Yuffie, Cid and Shera..."

"We've grown together."

"Vincent and Reeve, Marlene and Denzel...Aerith, too..."

"Time and space might bring us apart, but we'll always come back together again. I don't want to lose that."

"Now, that sounds like a good promise." Tifa gave Cloud a pat on the back and flashed him a smile. "All of us will always be there for one another, through it all. We care about each other."

Cloud smiled and nodded his head. For the first time in many years, Cloud felt like he was surrounded by the best people he could ask for. They cared about one another, supported one another. 'This is what having a family and friends felt like. There's just one person missing, though.'

"You know, we should rest up. We're going to have a big day ahead of us."

"You're right." Cloud scratched the back of his head. "If Rufus is serious about all of this we'd better prepare ourselves." Cloud glanced over her shoulder, looking towards Reno. "What about him?"

"Oh, don't you worry. I'll take care of him."

"Got it!" Cloud gave her a thumbs up, before leaving the deck and making his way back down towards the Maintenance Bay. He made his way down the metal staircase and back into the cabin area, where he got into one of the beds, intent on just resting for a few moments. He placed his head down on the pillow and closed his eyes for a brief moment, before opening them again. He looked at the metal ceiling before him.

He reached into his pocket and pulled out a small photo of Aerith, the same one that Elmyra had given him. He stared over at the picture for a moment and smiled. 'All of us will always be there for one another, through it all.' Cloud let out a sigh, his smile dropped a bit. 'You were taken from us, but you never left at all, I just had trouble finding you.'

Cloud rested the picture down on his chest. 'I don't want to lose you again, either.'

* * *

Rufus and Rude approached the northern crater, the helicopter floating above the surface of the ocean, quickly trailing towards the large gash that marked the spot of their destination.

"We land there, no time for any detours." Rufus pointed down towards the crater, holding the crate containing the materia in his hands.

"But, sir? What about the people in Icicle Inn and Bone Village? They'll be killed!"

"So? Since when have you talked so much?" Rufus snapped back at the other man. "We will be landing immediately. Any chance of survival from them is futile. We're here to destroy that crater. If Cloud and the other want to come and save the day, as I fully expect them to, then let them, but no one is stopping me."

The helicopter continued to descend down towards the northern crater.

From the forests on the outskirts of the Forgotten City, Jenova could make out the helicopter flying overhead, heading towards the crater. 'So, they've come at last." She let out a sickly laugh. 'I'll destroy them before they can ever destroy my cells.'

* * *

Aerith, Zack and Red made their way across the plains, heading in Corel's direction.

Red lifted his nose into the air, sniffing, as if sensing the direction of Corel.

"You can find out where we're supposed to be headed just by smelling the air?" Zack questioned, raising an eyebrow to Red.

"It's one of my resourceful abilities. It makes it much easier to travel."

"Much easier for us, too." Zack smiled.

They walked just a little while further, until Aerith looked about. "I think I remember this place..."

"You should." Red stepped forward. "We're not to far away from Corel now."

They continued to walk along the plains, until they come across a single house, just off of a set of plains.

"I remember that..." Aerith took a step closer to the house. She remembered it from the last time she was there. An old man lived in that house. He gave them clues as to where to find the Keystone at the Gold Saucer. "An older man lived there." It was strange for Aerith to begin to see these familiar sights. Time had passed, but not much had changed.

"Mmm...and what's that smell?" Zack sniffed into the air. "It smells awesome!" Zack clutched his stomach, feeling a rumble erupt from within. "Ugh, I think I forgot how much I missed food."

Aerith followed Zack's reaction. "Me too." She shot a glance over towards the house. "Do you think they would mind?"

The three approached the house, before Aerith knocked on the door. A moment later, a slightly plump elderly man opened the door.

"Hello? How can I-" It was then that the man noticed the appearance of the three. They were dirtied, looked exhausted and it appeared that they didn't eat or sleep in days. "Oh, my! You three come on inside. I just put on some food and a kettle of tea."

'Score!" Zack thought to himself with a smile.

The three sat down at the wooden table in the middle of the small cabin. The cabin was cozy, especially for four people to be in it at once, but it was nice and inviting. Warm rugs were layered about the ground, as a blazing fire was churning underneath the mantle.

Aerith spoke up, "Thank you so much, Mister..."

"Virtus." The man gave a smile to the woman, while brushing his mustache. He began to set down plates and silverware in front of them. "It's not common that I ever get visitors out here, so I always like to make sure that wandering travelers can always find shelter and rest here."

"That's very kind of you, thank you." Aerith returned the smile.

Mr. Virtus had taken the kettle from the stove an poured their tea into their mugs. Aerith raised the glass to her lips and gently sipped, savoring the taste and warmth of the tea.

"So, where are you three headed?" The man returned to the stove, where he continued to cook the food that smelled amazing. Zack and Aerith looked at each other, their mouths watering, well aware that once they got their food, they would become the most content people on the planet.

"We're heading off towards Corel. We're actually looking for a way to get up towards the northern continent. You wouldn't know anything about that, would you?"

"Hmm. Not me." He turned to them. "But there is this guy by the name of Dio. He's the head honcho over at the Gold Saucer. He could probably figure something out for you."

"That's right, Dio." Aerith recalled the man. She remembered him as a burly, somewhat aggressive, but caring man. "You might be right. He might be able to help us. He was able to give us an entire buggy once. Maybe he could help out?" Aerith shot a glance towards Zack and Red.

Mr. Virtus begin to place the food down in front of them. He had placed chicken, vegetables, rice and potatoes down onto their plates. He had placed a separate bowl of food down by Red's feet. They looked at their food before immediately deciding to dig in.

"This is the most beautiful thing I have ever seen." Zack announced, stuffing the food into his mouth.

Aerith looked over at him. "Are you crying?"

"Just a little."

"So, Mr. Virtus, you live here by yourself?" Aerith questioned the man.

"Yes. I used to be married, a long time ago. My wife passed away."

Aerith showed sympathy in her eyes. "I'm so sorry."

"I loved her. Feelings like that don't just disappear after death, you know. I think it makes them stronger. You learn to appreciate the time that you shared with people, to not take them for granted. Death can separate people, but it doesn't take away the feelings that people share."

Aerith nodded, understanding the man's feelings.

"That's the lesson we've got to learn over and over again, to appreciate people while we still have them."

"You're right." Aerith smiled at the man.

"That's why I always welcome everyone into my home, including you three. Feel free to stay as long as you'd like, of course!"

"Oh, don't worry. We won't be imposing for too long. Maybe we'll just rest here for the afternoon and leave during the early evening?" She looked over at Zack and Red to see if they had anything to add.

"Well, feel free to stay as long as you'd like."

The three had continued eating their foods, talking about their plans for the rest of the day. They had decided to head to Gold Saucer. Maybe Dio would be able to help them out with their problem?

Zack had settled down on the couch and dozed off not too long ago. Aerith smiled at the man. His body looked to be twisted in the most uncomfortable way possible, but Zack didn't seem to care. "Only Zack would be comfortable like that..."

Aerith had settled down next to the fireplace, with a warm blanket wrapped around her. Red was resting at her side, his body curving against Aerith's figure. Aerith gently ran a hand through Red's fur, as the wolverine sighed in content. The warmth of the fire tickled against Aerith's skin, feeling wonderful. In a journey like this, she knew that it was important to make the most out of these moments of serenity and peace.

"I really am happy to see you again, Red." Aerith smiled, continuing to pet the wolf. "To be honest, I didn't really know how I would feel seeing my friends again. But being back here with you, I understand that it would all be worth it."

"I'm happy to see you too, Aerith." Red smiled at the woman. "I understand how you would feel that way, but we're always here for you. You helped me out a lot back then."

"No, we both helped out each other."

"To be honest, I felt the closest to you because you understood me."

Aerith tilted her head towards the wolf, "What do you mean?"

"You know what it's like to be...different from everybody."

"Oh." She nodded. "I guess you're right."

"You were the only Cetra, I'm the only one of my kind."

"Yeah. I understand how it feels to be...different. I know just how lonely that can be." Aerith stared into the crackling fire.

"You know, though, we might have once been lonely, but we're not anymore. We've made friends along the way, we traveled the world, I never thought I would meet someone in the same situation like me."

"Red, we'll always have friends behind us to help us out. You've taught me that, along with Cloud, Zack and all of the others." Aerith gave him a pat on the head. "We're not alone. Not anymore."

"You're right."

Aerith smiled and gave the wolverine another pet, before lying down next to him, pushing her loose strands of hair over her shoulder. She wrapped an arm around Red's body.

"Goodnight, Red."

"Goodnight, Aerith."

* * *

Thanks for reading so far guys! I love seeing the amounts of views that the story gets. Please review if you'd like to.

Anyways, the next chapter is going to be the big one. It's gonna be a game-changer and everything's gonna hit the fan all across the board.


	9. Core of Darkness

**Chapter Nine - Core of Darkness**

The day continued just like any other ordinary day. There wasn't anything particularly unusual about this day. By comparison, this day was just like many others, until a soldier and his group of friends faced the perils of a destructive man hell-bent on power. This group had faced the man in a battle of skill and bravery, wanting to stop this man from using a powerful weapon that would kill one of their friends and destroy a part of the planet.

The Highwind floated along the air, dangerously close to the proximity of the northern crater, as the group of friends watched intently on the impending danger faced below, anxious and doubtful. The anxiety and fear rose when it was discovered that members were missing from the team, still scattered about the crater. They heard gunshots erupt from the pits of the crater. It was then when it happened.

A blast erupted. An explosion ripped from the depths of the scarred land, sending out an impulse which shook the world. The Highwind sputtered and rocked from the shockwave. The explosion poured out from the crater, spreading fire blasts along the icy surface of the northern continent, the infernos continuing along the icy mountain trails, leading towards the cold, blue ocean. The destructive blasts shook and broke apart the land, tearing apart the northern crater, completely shifting the formation of the entire body of land. Fire and explosions ripped through the crater, charring and disintegrating the land into small, fragmented islands which burned into nothing. The destruction continued to spread, engulfing the entire northern continent.

It then struck the group. All at once, a deep sorrow fell amongst them. As if it was a horrible instinct, they knew, someone left on the continent was dead.

The day had seemed like it was going to be an ordinary day. To those who believed that, they would soon realize just how wrong they were going to be.

* * *

**Earlier That Day**

Cloud found himself on the steps leading to the altar in the city beneath the Forgotten Capital of the Ancients. Just up ahead of the stairs, in the middle of the alter, Cloud could make out Aerith's figure. It was then that he knew that he was dreaming. It was a dream that he had many times before. He dreamt of the last time they saw one another when she was alive. He knew exactly where he was and what was to happen. Cloud already knew the outcome of the dream. As much as he tried to make his body resist to step forward, the dream would not allow it. It happened the same way every time.

Cloud begged, pleaded to resist the urge of his steps, towards the peaceful, looking woman who kneeled before him. It was like a slow agony, already knowing what was to happen, but feeling absolutely helpless to be able to do anything in this horrific nightmare. He arrived on the altar, as Aerith simply looked up and smiled. Cloud knew himself that this was a dream, but yet his subconscious would not allow him to separate reality from the dream. It was only when Cloud and Aerith made eye contact that he felt like something inside of him just broke. Her emerald eyes glistened, almost as if they were watery. It was impossible to make out the emotion behind her eyes. He saw happiness, hope and sadness, but could not place his finger on the one that was the most profound.

"Aerith..." Cloud called out to her.

Cloud felt like doing something, saying something, but he already knew that the actions or words wouldn't come, just like they hadn't before. Cloud could still not let go of his grief or realizing that this exchange has been his and Aerith's last, and that moments later, Aerith would be dead.

When he saw the shadowy figure descend from above, he knew exactly the fate that was to befall both Aerith and himself. The figure of Sephiroth descended further down upon Aerith, as she remained peacefully content.

Cloud snapped forward, springing up in his bed aboard the Highwind. "Aerith!"

'Again?' Cloud had the same dream a couple of nights earlier. Each time that he would awaken in this dream, he knew instantly that he was sucked back into this nightmare that he had to live with for many dark nights. As much as he wanted to change this continuous nightmare that he faced, he knew that it wasn't going to happen. He glanced outside of the window of the Highwind.

'The Bone Village...' Cloud studied the area surrounding the old excavation site. From within the clouds, he tried to see past the endless icy plains and glacier mountains that ranged throughout the northern region. 'We're almost there.'

Cloud lifted himself out of the bed and stretched out his muscles. As much as he wanted to feel relaxed, he knew that there was a great battle that was to take place before all of them. This was just the start.

'It's time we settled things.'

* * *

Jenova rose towards the summit of the crater's great wall. A strong wind ripped about the area, as a ghastly green mist floated about, like a cyclone, whipping through the crater like a great storm. Thunderous bolts broke through the sky, as dark storm clouds loomed over the cavernous walls of the crater. The entire area seemed to be encircled in a foreboding fog that encased the crater.

'They will be here soon.' Jenova knew that both Cloud and Rufus were on their way towards the crater. Two separate men with two separate goals, but one common thread tied to one another; the defeat of Jenova. Jenova smiled. She knew that, while Rufus was a threat not to be taken lightly, Cloud was the bigger threat of the two. He had bested her several times before. 'I will not be defeated again. They had their chance, but now it's my turn to do this the right way.'

Jenova approached the rim of the mountainous crater and outstretched out her blood-red limbs, forcing them up into the air. The wind howled and churned, as the dark storm clouds blasted throughout the area. Jenova's limbs faced out towards the descending entrance of the crater, as she called out.

"Rise." Her voice was hoarse and raspy, as she called out the command.

From within the depths of the crater, monstrous creatures, unlike any other in the planet began to emerge. The creatures let out a blood-curdling scream as they were released from within the rifts of the crater. The creatures bore an uncanny resemblance to Jenova, spouting blue skin and blood-red limbs and veins running across their body. The creatures grunted and growled, making their way up the sides of the crater. There were dozens of them, hundreds of these creatures crawling from within the darkest depths of the crater.

The creatures slithered and twisted as they moved. The cells running throughout their body instructed them to call out towards Jenova. The creatures made their way up the side of the crater, as if forming an army. Jenova looked down into the crater, smiling at how the tides were beginning to sway in her favor. 'Let this commence.'

* * *

Aerith, Zack and Red awoke some time later. They had gathered their things and were setting off towards Corel in the late afternoon.

"It might be dangerous out there. Are you sure you don't want to stay the night?" Mr. Virtus asked.

"Oh, thank you, sir, but you've already done too much for us. You've already cooked for us and allowed us to rest here. You've really done more than enough." Aerith tried to reassure the man.

A warmth spread over the man's face. "Really, I don't mind at all."

Aerith shook her head and smiled in response. "No, we really should get going. We've already had a few setbacks as it is. We should try to get to Corel as soon as we can.

"Yeah," Zack agreed. "We were supposed to be on a ship that was supposed to be on its' way over to the northern continent already, but that didn't really work out."

"Well, if you ever need a place to stay, you're all always welcome back here." Mr. Virtus smiled at the three.

"Thank you, sir." Aerith smiled, making her way towards the door, following Zack and Red out.

"Aerith, wait." Mr. Virtus called back out to Aerith, who stopped in the doorway, turning around to meet the slightly plump man.

"I hope you have a safe journey."

"Thank you, Mr. Virtus."

Mr. Virtus smiled and raised his eyebrows to the woman. "You know, I think when I was telling you about my late wife, that's when I realized." Mr. Virtus looked into Aerith's emerald eyes, filled with concern. "You know what it feels like?"

Aerith's eyes softened, as her lips formed into a frown.

"You've been separated from someone that you care about, just like I was."

Aerith stood there for a moment, twiddling with her fingers. Shrugging, her voice was a whisper. "I know how that feels..."

"You're a strong woman." The plump man smiled at Aerith. "If you continue on, you'll find out just how strong you actually are. Use your strength for the both of us." Mr. Virtus placed his arms around Aerith's shoulders. "I might not always get many visitors up here, but know that you have a place here where an old man will listen to all of your problems and understand."

Aerith smiled at the man and wrapped her arms around his figure, standing there for a moment. She felt a sort of embrace that was familiar, yet different to her. She felt like this embrace was paternal, maybe perhaps like one between a granddaughter and grandfather. There was warmth and a comfort that came from the man, something that Aerith picked up on instantly. "Thank you. You're one of the kindest people I've met."

"You know, after everything that we've been though, it makes me smile to know that there are still people like us in the world. People that can make everything better by not having to do all that much."

Aerith smiled and nodded. "Well, until we meet again, Mr. Virtus."

"I hope you find what you're looking for."

Aerith turned around and gave another small smile to Mr. Virtus. "Me too," she whispered.

In that moment, it occurred to Aerith what she was actually looking for. She was on a mission to find the White Materia and stop Jenova, but what she was really searching for, what she really wanted to find was Cloud.

The three had left the single house in the midst of the grassy plain and began to trek their way across the beautiful farmlands and fields that lay before them, like a long stretching road towards Corel. The sun was still in the sky, not beginning to set quite yet. The heat of the day proved tiresome, but the three continued to move onwards.

The heat caused Aerith's uniform to become irritable and itched at her skin. She tried her best to shake the feeling, but it remained persistent.

"You could always ditch that thing, you know?" Zack raised an eyebrow at the girl.

"No, it's alright. I'm still getting used to it is all."

Red chimed in. "I didn't even think it was you at first. You had me fooled."

"I guess that was kind of the point." Aerith smiled, petting the fur on the back of Red's neck.

They had made their way towards the base of the Corel mountains, a broad range of peaks that led the way to the small village, sheltered within the mountainous walls. The three carefully made their way up the mountainside, climbing along the rugged mountainside. There was very little life among these mountain tops. There were rarely any animals, the plants were dead and had withered, and there were certainly no other people other than them climbing amongst the mountains.

The same could be said for Corel as a whole. While the town was once an operational village, hard times and violence had struck the area. Aerith recalled her last visit to Corel, remembering what a distraught and damaged mess the place had become. The village was located on the outskirts of an endless desert, which seemed to stretch for miles. Debris and garbage were piled in heaps throughout the village, houses were falling into a state of disrepair, the skies were dark and clouded from the pollution given off and there was a constant, disturbing odor that was capable of making any person's stomach twist.

They had continued walking for another hour or so, before Aerith, Zack and Red had reached the summit of one of the mountaintops. Aerith placed a palm to her forehead, wiping away the sweat that had formed from the intense heat of the summer day. At the edge of the mountainous cliff, she made out the village of Corel before them. It was just as she had remembered it to be.

"Well, this place has seen better days," Zack remarked, as he continued to lead them down the mountainside.

Aerith continued to stare off into the village. "Hm. Not by much though."

"They started doing reconnaissance for oil throughout the village." Red started to explain. Barret was heavily involved with the proceedings. I can't say that it affected Corel, but it also did not do much to improve the village, either."

"Yeah, the place looks exactly the same when we were here last. It's a shame."

Zack smiled at the girl. leading them down the mountainside. "Wow, you really traveled around a lot."

"Mhm." Aerith remembered all of the placed that they had visited. "Meeting Cloud was my first opportunity to go out and see the world."

"Well, Cloud changed you a lot now, didn't he?" Zack laughed, with a sing-song tone in his voice.

"Oh Zack, stop it! You blew your chance." Aerith laughed at him in response.

Red looked between the two. "Wait, you two were together? I never would have guessed. You act like such good friends."

"We are good friends." Zack smiled at Red. "God, what was it, it must have been over eight years ago by now, right?"

Aerith smiled and nodded. "Time does fly by."

"Yep, it's all in the past now, Red. She's moved onto other things." Zack let out a fake cough. "Cloudy-boy, for example." Zack smiled as Aerith's face darkened.

"Ah," Red let out a small laugh, "well, I can't say that's a surprise." Red remembered his travels alongside Cloud and Aerith and recalled how close the two had become. He almost expected something to happen between them, but Aerith was taken away.

"So, Aerith?" Zack grinned at the woman, with a playful tone in his voice. "What DOES Cloud have that I don't? I mean, we're both kickass fighters, we're strong, problematically attractive, me more-so than him..."

Aerith let out a laugh, which she tried to mask with her hand, as Zack continued on. "Well, aren't you Mr. Confident? That's the thing, though. You're not shy and awkward like Cloud is." She remembered the various displays of Cloud's shyness towards her, something that was masked beneath his emotionless appearance. 'He's so adorable when he acts like that,' she thought to herself with a small smile.

"Oh, so THAT'S what you're into?" Zack replied with a laugh.

The woman turned back to him and gave him a small smile. "Maybe."

They made their way through the mountainside, drawing closer and closer to the desert village. They made their way to an old bridge, which provided passage from one side of the rocky cliffs to the other. It looked old and unstable, to say the least. Beneath the bridge looked to be a hefty drop that fell into the valley between the two mountainous cliffs, leading to the sharp, pointed rocks below.

"You actually gonna cross that thing?" Zack questioned Aerith, who took a few steps towards the wooden bridge.

"You're not gonna let a bridge keep us from getting to Corel, are you?"

Zack let out a sigh, lowering and shaking his head by the woman's stubbornness. 'When she wants something, there's nothing that gets in her way...'

"How about only one of us goes at a time?" Aerith wanted to cross the bridge, but she wasn't willing to test her fate. Not today. "It'll be safer if we each take turns doing it. I'll go first."

Aerith stepped along the rickety bridge, an unnerving feeling sweeping across her body, as the bridge swayed and billowed with the breeze. She took a few more steps forward, testing the stability of the wooden planks at her feet, before deciding to proceed. Her breath caught in her throat for a moment, her heart pounding, when she thought of the consequences of the bridge collapsing.

'Get it together.' She snapped herself out of her thoughts, continuing to cross a few more steps until she reached the opposite side of the bridge. "Come on, guys! It's alright!" She motioned for Zack and Red to follow her across the bridge.

Zack and Red followed the daring woman over the bridge, having the same amount of difficulty as she did. They all shared a relieving sigh when they all had made their way to the opposite cliff. They continued down the mountain trail, walking amidst the boulders and tumbleweed plants that were scattered about the area. All life seemed to be drowned out of the place.

"We're almost there." Red directed ahead of them, as the three approached the outskirts of the city.

The heat of the day basked over their bodies. At the edge of the desert, the temperamental air seemed to become increasingly warmer. The sky became lit with a dark orange hue. The sun was only starting to set, offering another hour or two of sunlight. They reached the outer edges of the city, as Aerith took in the familiar setting of the old, run-down town. It wasn't until Zack raised his voice that she was snapped out of her thoughts.

"What the hell is this?"

Red and Aerith looked at Zack for a moment, before staring off into the direction he was facing. There, on the outskirts of the town, they saw what he was referring to.

Bodies.

Scattered about the entrance to Corel were several soldier bodies lying in the desert sand. The human bodies were bloodied and mutilated, some of them missing limbs, lying in their own pools of blood. Some of the bodies had deep teeth and claw marks punctured into their throats and arms, the flesh ripped away.

Aerith covered her mouth as she let out a gasp.

Red approached the scene, just as confused and shocked as Aerith had been.

"I...don't think this was Jenova..."

* * *

Cloud approached the cockpit. When he stepped in, he noticed Cid at the control panel, as usual, along with Shera. Tifa, Barret and Yuffie were surrounding the control panel, discussing their plans, while Reno, Reeve, Elena, Tseng and Vincent were in the opposite corner, catching Reno up on the events that had transpired at the underwater reactor.

Everyone turned to face Cloud when he had entered into the cockpit.

"So, there's the man of the hour," Cid chimed in, when Cloud walked up into the glass atrium at the forefront of the plane.

Tifa turned from the group. "Cloud, we've been thinking of how we should handle Rufus. I think with an operation this big, well, it'd be pretty hard to believe that he won't see us coming."

"Please." Reno rolled his eyes at her. "Rufus probably already knows that we're tailing him as we speak. Though, I can't make any excuses for Rude's behavior. Don't know what's gotten into that guy. Never had much of a backbone."

Cid scratched the hair on his chin. "Either way, when this plane lands at the crater, it'd be a pretty damn good idea for Rufus to get the hell outta there. There's a whole buncha us to deal with and just one of him."

"That's exactly what he's relying on." Vincent stepped forward. "He wants to use one of us to activate that destructive materia. He doesn't care who has to be killed, as long as the weapon is activated."

"Right." Tseng added, cutting Vincent off. "The materia will be activated by simply touching it. By coming into contact with a human, that thing will cause major damage."

"Right." Cloud stated, looking towards the team, "We're not going to let him trick us into falling for it. We're already one step ahead of him. We just have to be careful with how we do this."

"Uh-huh! We'll arrive on the scene, kick some ass, stop Rufus and laugh all the way home." Yuffie smiled, before a mischievous glint flashed in her eyes. "Do you think Rufus would mind if I took the materia? I mean, a destructive materia is like...extremely rare and I'll definitely be extra care-"

"Focus, girl!" Barret shouted. "We ain't allowing you to steal a god damn piece of junk that could kill us all. I could see the Highwind goin' down in flames already." Barret grimaced as the scenario played out in his mind.

"That shit ain't happening," Cid muttered.

"Oh, fine. You guys are no fun anyway!" Yuffie crossed her arms and pouted, like a young child that just had their favorite toy taken away from them.

"Though, I do wonder..."Tifa started, "...what if Rufus does actually activate the destructive materia? What will happen to that place and to us?" Tifa lowered her head. "I wouldn't want to think of another one of my friends dying...but we have to be realistic. It could happen..."

"I won't let it." Cloud faced the group. "I'm not going to allow another of my friends to die."

"Spike, I hear ya." Barret placed an arm on Cloud's shoulder. "But she's got a point. This could be one of our last missions. One of us could die today. We'll be strong, we'll kick Rufus' ass like we do all the damn time, but there's a lot on the line..."

Cloud nodded his head. "Well, if anyone is going to die today...then it's going to be me."

"Cloud!" Several members of the group shouted, surprised by the young soldier's words.

"I'm serious." The tone in Cloud's voice told them that he was not one to be taken lightly at the moment. "I'm not going to see another one of my friends die. I would rather allow myself to die, then to watch any of you."

Yuffie shook her head. "No, no! Cloud, you can't be serious!" The young ninja ran up to Cloud, as if trying to get a look at him, hoping to see that there was some sign of a cruel prank.

"What happened to not giving up? To continue fighting?" Tifa walked up to Cloud, in line with the young ninja.

Cloud let out a sigh and scratched the back of his head. "You guys aren't really getting it. I'm not giving up. I'd be making a sacrifice to save all of you."

"Right," Barret shot a look at the man, "but what makes you think that we want to see you die instead?"

Cloud's words caught in his throat, as he lowered his gaze to all of them. 'They do have a point. This isn't just about me dying. They'd all be losing a friend, too.'

"We also watched one of our friends die." Tifa approached Cloud. "Do you think we want to see another one die, too? We understand why you're willing, but you also have to understand how much that would affect us all."

Cloud let out a small laugh and placed one of his hands on Tifa's shoulder, the other on Barret's shoulder. "It's okay. Don't write me off just yet. We still have Rufus to face. If things get bad out there, really bad, then maybe we'd have to worry."

Cloud's words seemed to uplift the spirits of everyone in the room. "I'm not going to give up too easily. I'm not going down without at least putting up a good fight." Cloud smiled at them, with a confident grin spread across his face.

"And we're gonna be fighting right there along with you! So, you better save some for us!" Yuffie pumped her fist into the air, flashing her shuriken. "Besides, if we really had to get rid of one of us, I'd vote Cid. Sorry Shera, but the only thing he's good for is flying this stupid thing..." Yuffie whispered under her breath, "...not that we're really too confident with him doing THAT, either."

The group let out a laugh. Shera simply rested her hand on Cid's shoulder. "Little bitch, we're kickin' her the fuck outta the house when we get back." Yuffie smiled at the man's words, proud to have been able to get such a rise out of the man.

"So, are we good to go?" Cloud looked about the room, wondering if anyone else had anything to say.

"Almost." Elena voiced her concern, stepping forward. "Our fight is leading us to the crater. It's doubtful that there is anyone up there, but what about the Icicle Inn or the Bone Village? If Rufus does activate that thing, those placed could be in serious danger."

"Then we evacuate them immediately." Reeve stated, knowing what had to be done.

Cloud gave them a confirming nod. "Right. I guess we should split up then?"

"I'll take Reeve and Elena along with me to help the evacuation." Tseng stepped forward. "Cid, do you think you could drop the three of us off at Icicle Inn."

"Sure thing. We'll be hovering over the place in a few, better prepare yourself." Cid flipped a few of the beeping controls on the panel.

"Good, we'll evacuate the town as soon as we get there. We'll try to get people to take shelter. From there, we'll trek our way down towards the icy plains, reaching to Forgotten Capitol and then we'll be set to arrive at the Bone Village."

"Good plan." Cloud nodded. "You guys just leave Rufus to us. Wouldn't want you to be the ones to take out your boss anyway." Cloud smiled at the three. "So, it's settled then. We stop Rufus from using the destructive materia by all means. If we aren't so luck, then I'll be the one that has to pay the consequences."

Cloud stepped forward. "I'm not giving up and neither are any of you. We all have our own reasons to continue fighting. I don't want this to be our last mission together, but if it is...I say we show Rufus what the hell we're made of!" The team looked at Cloud and roared with excitement and anticipation.

Yuffie stepped forward. "Yeah, we fought and took down Sephiroth. This guy should be easy enough! You've whooped him a couple of times before right?"

"Right. We're here to help protect the planet again." Cloud smiled. "There's no getting off of this train we're on!"

"Alright, let's do this."

* * *

Aerith, Zack and Red stood just on the inside of the small town of Corel. The sand shifted and blew beneath their feet. The wind blew against the rusted, dangling old railroad sign, sounding clanking noises through the wind. The three stood by the old railroad platform, looking back into the desert on the outskirts of the city, where the several bodies were strewn about and dismembered.

"What do you think could have done that if not Jenova?" Zack questioned.

Aerith shook her head, just as perplexed as he was. "I don't know. Jenova's powerful, but it doesn't look like this was done by her. They've been bitten and clawed. It could of been some fiend in the desert?"

"Well, whatever this fiend was, it was certainly strong." Red looked down at the bodies. "These were military soldiers that were killed. They were armed and skilled, but they were still caught off guard. What could have possibly done that?"

The three thought for a moment longer, wondering about the fates that had befallen these several unfortunate men. They were soon snapped out of their thoughts when another presence was known to them, shouting towards them.

"Murderer!"

The three looked towards the man that came shouting down towards them. The man was rather masculine. He wore a set of dirtied suspenders and an old straw hat. His face was scruffy and covered with sweat.

Zack raised his eyebrow to the man. "Um, what?"

"Murderer!" The man shouted again, this time drawing other people out of their homes and the other village buildings. They started to gather on the out skirts of the street, looking towards the three outsiders. The village people of Corel all had the same reaction when they saw the mutilated bodies outside of the city. Fear struck them, they felt sick, they were left wondering if their entire town was endangered, especially now that a part of their military fleet had been massacred.

It didn't take long for the other villagers to start pointing their fingers, chanting their insinuating accusations towards the three. The anger grew louder and louder, as an uproar formed. The crowd continued piling towards the street, filling the corner of the village.

"No, you don't understand!" Aerith tried to raise her voice over the roaring crowd, but it was not effective enough.

"Yeah, we didn't do any of this!" Zack tried to persuade them, calmly. "We wouldn't want to hurt anybody."

"We know you wouldn't." The accusing man stepped towards the three of them. "It was that monster!" He pointed towards Red.

Red's eyes widened. "No, no, you don't understand!"

Aerith stepped forward to defend Red, blocking him from the mob's view. "No, he's not a monster! Red would never hurt anyone. He's my friend."

"Mine, too." Zack stepped forward.

The crowd only grew louder and more aggressive. "Save it." The burly man taunted them again. "We were finally starting to put our lives back together again. Sure, we never had it easy in these parts, but we were really tryin'! Then, when things get better again, a god damn monster like that has to destroy this place again. It was only until that beast showed up that these brave men were killed!" The crowd roared in agreement.

"No! Please, listen to us!" Aerith tried covering Red from them, gently petting him and hiding his face.

"Out of the way!" The man shoved Aerith down towards the grimy sand.

"Aerith!" Zack ran over to help her off of the ground.

The two looked up to see the burly mad advance towards Red, extending his hands to grasp towards the wolverine. The man threw his body forward, his weight pinning Red towards the ground. He used his arms and legs to try to pin Red down. Red twisted and shook his body in an attempt to get free. Red continued to move his body until he was able to get free. The man rose a fist in an attempt to strike Red, but was paused when the red wolf turned around and let out a vicious snarl, flashing his sharp fangs.

"He's doing it again!"

"Stop him before he kills one of us!"

"I don't want to lose my children! Get that foul creature!"

"Stop that monster!"

Village men from all corners of the crowd rushed forward, kicking and punching Red, pinning him towards the ground. The men rushed forward, cussing out the wolverine, as they continued to repeatedly strike Red, making sure he was unable to move.

Aerith rushed forward, trying to pry the men off of her friend. "Stop!" She pushed one of the men away, as another two men pushed her back down to the ground. Zack ran forward, grapping a few of the men and throwing them down towards the ground. Aerith rose to her feet and tried to pull a few more men off of Red, but it was hopeless. They were no match for the crowd. "Get away from him!" Zack continued to remove the men from the scene. Aerith tried to get to Red, but the men prevented her.

"Aerith!" Red roared.

"Stop it!" She saw a man's leg rise into the air and strongly kick Red's face. "Stop! Stop it! STOP!" Aerith screamed, her voice overpowering all of them at once. The mob stood there for a moment and stared at all of them. Aerith's face was red, tears spilling from her eyes, her mouth trembling.

"WHAT THE HELL'S THE MATTER WITH ALL OF YOU!?" The crowd stood there for a moment, as the men backed away from Red, staring at Aerith.

Aerith approached her friend, lying on the ground, unwilling to move out of fear. The scars along his body had opened and bled. His face and body was bruised. Aerith approached Red and saw the tears that came streaming from his eyes, as he attempted to cover his face in his body. Aerith rose Red's face saw that his eyes would meet hers. She gently stroked his fur, as she took in the look in his eyes, a look that was so forlorn, so hurt and saddened.

"...Aerith..."

"Red." She continued to pet him, as tears continued to fill her eyes, rolling down her cheeks. Her breaths were coming fast, in-between her gasps for air. "I'm so sorry..."

"Take him." One of the men ordered, A group of men approached Red, grabbing him and lifting him up. Red was unwilling to fight back at this point.

Aerith looked at them. "What? No, wait! What are you doing?" She glanced at them, none of them willing to give her an answer. "What are you going to do to him?"

"Murder is an unforgivable crime. The creature must be punished." One of the men directed towards another. "Bring him to the prison block."

"He didn't do anything, we swear!" Zack tried to convince them, but failed.

"These deaths did not happen here until that creature showed up. These brave men were covered in claw and bite marks, as if your "friend" had attacked them. That is solid evidence enough. He is branded an enemy of Corel."

"No, stop! You don't understand." Aerith realized how bad this had looked, but he really hadn't done anything.

The group started carrying Red off towards the prison quarters. How were they to reason with them when they wouldn't give them a chance? The first man that had accused Red turned back to them. "He will be executed."

"No..." Aerith covered her mouth in shock and fear. Her heart sank at the thought of Red dying for a crime that he did not commit. She felt her already watery eyes begin to produce fresh tears. "Red!" Aerith called back out to the wolverine. "Red!"

* * *

The Highwind had just finished dropping Elena, Reeve and Tseng off at the small village of Icicle Inn, the three heading off through the town, telling people to evacuate the city immediately.

The airship continued north, hovering towards the northern crater. The team made out the rugged landscape from the Highwind's deck, as the clouds slowly parted towards their destination. The dark clouds hovering about the scarred land cast a gloom throughout the area.

"There's a war starting. Today, we fight for everything we believe in. Are you guys ready?" Cloud glanced over his shoulder, towards his team members. They gave him a reassuring nod.

The airship lowered down towards the crater, landing just outside of the rim of the crater, where the rugged cliffs of the area slowly began to sink into the dark depths of the land formation. Barret threw the rope ladder over the railing, making it was secure before doing so. He climbed over onto the opposite side of the railing and tested the ladder.

"Right behind you, Barret." Tifa winked at the man. "There's a lot that we have to protect today."

"Yep. Once this is all over, I'm goin' back to my daughter! That's what I'm fightin' for. Let's go, Teef!" He continued to make his way back down towards the depths of the crater.

Cloud approached the railing, but was soon interrupted when Cid came over the intercom.

"Me and Shera are gonna be stayin' back while you guys do the fightin' down there! Someone's gotta look after the ship!"

Yuffie rolled her eyes and approached the banister. "Huh, figures. He's way too old and senile to be doing the fighting anyway! Leave it to us professionals!" She leapt over onto the rope ladder to join the others below.

"Hey, man." Reno approached Cloud. He stared at Cloud for a moment, before lowering his head and running a hand through his red locks. "Don't get yourself killed." He made his way down towards the railing.

Cloud nodded. "I'll try not to. You do the same."

Vincent approached Cloud from the opposite side of the deck. The two were the only remaining people on the deck. Cloud glanced over at the taller man, clad in his dark-red garments, which contrasted against the setting sun. "You're willing to lose your life today if that is the cost?"

The blonde-haired man lowered his blue eyes down towards the metal deck of the ship. "If there's no other way, then yes." Cloud felt conflicted, a mixture of guilt and uncertainty rising within him. "I know it's selfish, but I'd rather die today and save one of my friends from getting killed, instead."

"We're not allowing you to die so easily, Cloud." Vincent shot the man an emotionless stare. "We still need you in the fight against Jenova. We will defeat Rufus today and settle the score with Shinra for the last time." Vincent lowered his head. "Death doesn't suit you, not yet, even if you were to be with her."

Cloud raised his head to look at Vincent, a perplexed look appearing on his face. "So, you know..."

"I recognize your longing emotions, Cloud. Remember? I lost my beloved Lucrecia to this company's demonic actions. I know all too well what it's like." Vincent advanced towards the railing. "I believed that death would be the only way to repent for my sins, the only way I would be able to be with her. Having her taken away from me was suffering enough. You were freed of your guilt from your failure to protect her. Do not let that be in vain. Make it count. Fight. Succeed."

Cloud looked at the man and nodded.

"Death was not the answer for me. It's not the answer for you, either." Vincent grasped onto the railing. "I will finish my atonement for my sins today. I will destroy the company that ruined so many lives, including both yours and mine."

Vincent raised his arm, which was armored. "This arm, mutilated by Hojo's work, just likes the rest of my body. It's not human, but an experiment that disfigured my hand. This company was what destroyed me. I will not let them defeat me."

Vincent shot a glance back at Cloud. "Do you understand? Let this fight fall into my hands." Vincent leapt off the deck.

Cloud grasped onto the railing, staring off into the sky for a moment, before making his way down the rope ladder.

Cloud arrived the the crater, along with the others, waiting for everyone to reconvene. Cloud hoisted his sword over his shoulder, taking a look throughout the area, the intense wind whipping through the crater like a hurricane. The team began to make their way across the rock formations along the perimeter of the crater.

"No sign of Rufus anywhere..." Cloud muttered, glancing about the area.

Tifa nodded, walking slightly behind him. "A place this large, it could take a while."

"Let's remember though. He's not the only thing we gotta watch out for." Reno reminded them. "This place is loaded with Jenova's cells, too. Who know how that'll get in our way today." Reno shuddered at the idea.

"Doesn't matter! As long as we keep Cloudy safe from Jenova, we'll be good!" Yuffie cheered.

Cloud glanced back at her. "We can only hope. Where's Rufus?" They continued to walk along the crater's sloping walls, glancing through the dense mist that covered the area. It seemed as though sound and life was drained out of the area, casting a gloomy, dark glow amongst the northern landscape.

"What's that?" Tifa called out ahead, pointing in the direction ahead of them. They spotted a figure walking amongst the dense mist, proceeding towards them. "Rufus..."

The figure proceeded through the fog, as Cloud eyed the approaching being mysteriously. It was only until the figure was a mere few feet away from them that they realized that this "shadow" wasn't Rufus.

The monstrous creature blasted through the fog, letting out a ferocious roar. The surprise of the roar caused Tifa to fall back towards Reno, while Yuffie sprung a good fifteen feet away. The monstrous creature was unlike anything they've ever seen. It was dark blue with blood red limbs and veins running about its' body. The creature looked like a sort of chimera, made up of different beasts, creating a superior monster, one that they did not want to cross.

"What the hell is that?" Reno shouted, laying out an arm to block Tifa from the monster.

"The product of Jenova's cells and the monsters of this crater." Vincent stepped forward.

Barret let out a laugh. "Haha! Let's show it what we got!" Barret let off a round of bullets towards the creature. The creature was unaffected, almost as if the bullets tickled its' skin. Barret widened its' eyes when the creature thrust his arm forward, knocking the burly man a few feet back towards the ground.

Cloud seized the opportunity and rushed towards the creature, jumping into the air, bringing his sword down on the monster's head, as a sickly slicing sound was heard. The bloodied monster sputtered for a second, before collapsing to the floor, lifeless.

The team looked at each other for a moment. "If we're going to be up against things like that, we might not have to take down Rufus." Yuffie observed. "Hopefully they'd do it for us."

They were too distracted to take in Yuffie's words. From around them, they heard it, approaching footsteps, completely surrounding them. They glanced around the dense fog until they saw the monstrous creatures arrive, advancing towards them like dark, zombie-like, ferocious creatures. The team glanced around them for a moment, watching as the several creatures grew in closer and closer, increasing in numbers by the second. More of the creatures thrust their arms up from the surface of the rocky crater, emerging from the crater's crust, letting out blood-curdling screams.

Jenova watched from the opposite side of the crater, enjoying the scene, as her creatures surrounded her enemies. She knew that these beasts were not one to be taken lightly. They were to destroy Cloud, his friends and Rufus and she was to continue her own agenda to find the White Materia. "Enough of this. The White Materia will be mine and then there is nothing I won't be able to do. I have an Ancient to find." Jenova glanced back at the monsters. "Destroy all of them." In an instant, she was gone again.

The creatures let out a blood-curdling shriek, piercing through the ears of Cloud and his companions.

"Think they'll listen to reason?" Yuffie shouted over the cries.

"If the reason is us kicking their ass, I'm afraid they'll have no choice." Reno smirked, removing his iron rod from his belt buckle.

"Fight! We have to!" Cloud shouted towards them, reminding them of their goal.

Cloud sprung forward, chopping a monstrous centipede being in half, blood and gore oozing from within. Cloud smirked in his silent victory before making his way towards the next set of creatures. He glanced over his shoulder to see his team mates split off into opposite directions.

Tifa made a mad dash down the crater's rocky surface, pursued by a set of grotesque, behemoth like creatures, their horns ravaging closely behind her. She continued her quick sprint, before turning around, lifting her foot into the air and giving the demon a swift kick across the face. Tifa pulled back, gearing up her fist, before reeling back and punching the creature in the face, sending the creature flying into the air. From across the crater, Barret let out a series of bullets fly into the air from his gun, as the creature was shot multiple times in the sky. Blood was sent flying down towards the rock surface of the crater, as the creature came falling down.

Tifa let out another set of combo moves on the other creatures, kicking and punching the beings with her mighty fists, before the creature collapsed to the ground. She spotted Cloud across the battle field, splitting his sword through a monstrous chimera. He gave her a thumbs up from across the battle field, before proceeding to fight his way through the other creatures.

Cloud split his way through another monster, as another swarm of them approached him, trampling over him and knocking him towards the ground, his sword flying a few feet away. "Damn it!" Cloud grimaced, as the creatures approached him. He backed up a few feet, trying to get to his feet, but the monsters were closing in on all sides. The creature stirred before him for a second, before impulsing forwards, as Yuffie let out a high-pitched war cry. Yuffie's shuriken sliced through the creature, imbedding itself in the monster's skull. "Gotcha, bitch!"

Yuffie cheered, doing a small victory dance, while Cloud sat there for a moment, perplexed by the ninja's actions. She turned to him, "Don't worry, you can thank me later." She yanked her weapon out of the creature's skull and gave Cloud a small pat on the shoulder. Cloud reached down for his sword and made his way towards the other monsters, slicing through a sea of snake-like beings, hissing and snapping their way towards the soldier. He brought his sword up towards the sky and spun around, slicing his sword in a complete circle, decapitating the creatures.

Reno ran alongside the crater, being chased by the creatures, as he let out a loud scream. The malboro being that was chasing, was snapping its' jaws, as an indescribable stench followed it. Reno soon came across Barret, who noticed the panicked man.

"Stop runnin', fool! Turn around and give that damn thing a hit!"

Reno stopped running suddenly, thinking of Barret's words, as the marlboro nearly ran into him. Reno spun around and gave the creature a hit. Barret stood there for a moment, shooting down one of the other creatures, as he shook his head.

"Damn, man. How about you leave the fightin' to us?"

Reno simply smirked at the man. He flipped up the tab on his iron rod, causing electric sparks to surge from within. Reno raised the rod up back into the air, as the marlboro opened it's mouth, flashing it's rows of several sharp teeth, as if the being was about to completely devour Reno whole. Reno plunged the electric rod into the marlboro's mouth, sending jolt after jolt of the sharp, electric stinging pain running through the marlboro's body. The marlboro let out a scream, overcome from the pain that it received, before the creature's head caught fire. Reno backed up, admiring in his victory, as the creature spouted about the area, flailing about as it went up in flames.

The creature ran into another being, causing that creature to set fire, as well. Reno watched as his attack paid off better than he expected, watching as the creatures slowly burned to a crisp.

"YES, MAN! That's what I'm talkin' bout!" Barret shouted behind him. Reno didn't want to admit it, but this was actually fun.

Tifa kicked another creature up into the air, as Cloud brought his sword up to slice through the creature as it came crashing down. Cloud split off in an opposite direction, making his way towards the giant behemoth that was rampaging towards the area. Cloud jumped up, grasping the horns of the beast and catapulted himself into the air. He rose his sword up, before the sharp metal of the blade clashed with the behemoth's face, slicing the beast.

Yuffie cheered at the scene, not realizing the approaching beast that came before them. Yuffie backed up a few feet, unprepared from the beast's attack. She got in a stance, preparing for the beast's blow, closing her eyes. The blow never came, though. She opened her eyes and before her, she saw the wispy, red cape of Vincent's floating about her, sending out a series of bullets from within, shooting down the monster.

"Yes, Vincent!" As the creature fell, Yuffie was sucked into Vincent's cape, as the man bounced and floated across the area at a substantial pace. Yuffie felt like her body was warping and twisting with the fluid movement of Vincent's cape.

For a moment, it felt as though the entire world went dark and then, she propelled forward again, shooting out from within Vincent's cape, this time on the opposite side of the crater. She dashed towards a monster, knocking the creature into the air, before a shot was heard from Vincent's gun. The creature came crashing down onto the cold rocks, bloodied and dead.

Slowly, the entire team reconvened into the center of the crater, looking around for any other trace of the monsters. They examined the battle field, noticing all of the creatures that they had defeated. The crater was littered with the dead bodies of the demonic, dark creatures. The entire area was gloomy before, but now, with the scattered bodies of these dark creatures throughout the area, the whole crater seemed to be like some sort of graveyard.

"We got 'em!" Yuffie cheered.

"Don't celebrate." Vincent scolded the young girl.

From within the shadows of the crater, a giant black dragon crashed its' way through the crater's surface, letting out a fierce roar. The dragon let out a cry into the air, as the creature spewed a deep, red fire up towards the sky. The fire came crashing down, covering the crater's surface. Now, the entire area seemed to take the form of some sort of active volcano that had suddenly erupted. The dragon let out another cry, before rushing forwards.

Cloud held up his sword. "Let's go!"

Cloud rushed forward, leaping into the air and bringing his sword down, severing one of the dragon's wings. Tifa rushed forward, as Barret propelled her forwards, bringing her fists to pound into the dragon's chest, causing the beast to reel back. Barret let out a fury of bullets, directed towards the dragon, careful not to shoot towards his fellow comrades. Yuffie dashed forward, leaping into the air, swiftly using her shuriken to dig into the dragon's back, opening a deep gash into the dragon's sides. Cloud jumped back up into the air, bringing his sword down with him, as the sword pierced through the dragon's skull. The dragon reeled for a moment, before collapsing down into the ground. Cloud removed his sword from the dragon's head and leaped off of the dead creature.

He walked forward, glancing at his fellow comrades who were holding their sides, panting and catching their breath. He looked over at all of them and shook his head, as his breath caught up to him.

"I think we got 'em."

* * *

Rufus and Rude landed in the crater, the copter precariously hanging over one of the edges of the scarred land. Rufus emerged from the crater, holding the wooden crate in his hands. From within the crate, he could see the illuminated red glow from the destructive materia. Rufus adjusted one of the bandages wrapped around his forehead, before proceeding down towards the center of the crater, followed swiftly behind by Rude.

When Rufus noticed Rude's following presence, the ex-president turned to him. "You stay back by the copter. When the materia is activated, we'll need a quick escape out of here."

Rude stood there for a moment and stared. "..."

"Did you not understand me?" Rufus took a step or two closer to Rude, questioning the man. "Have you changed your loyalty towards the Shinra Company? That copter is our only means of escape when the materia is activated. Head back now."

Rude nodded, before turning back to the man. "But sir, when Cloud and the others confront you, who's to die? You wanted to trick them, but you know that they'll be onto you. How are you going to go about doing this?"

"Who will die is no concern of yours." Rufus snapped back at the man. "Now, return to the copter and wait at your post until we are ready to destroy this continent and depart back towards Junon."

Rude nodded and turned back towards the copter, heading back in the direction that he came.

Rufus set the crate down into the floor, removing the lid and examining the mysterious red materia glowing from within. 'One touch is all it takes to activate it. The possessor of the materia will then cast the destructive spell from the single touch...but be killed in the process of casting it. Such power.'

Rufus closed the lid back on the box. 'But who to kill? Cloud would be a bit difficult to trick, as are a few of his friends.' A realization suddenly dawned on him, as he let out a smile, removing a pistol from within his pocket. He contemplated whom his victim would be, going through all of Cloud's companions, spotting the easiest to fool. 'Hm. This could be interesting. We could have a few options here. Which will it be? The young ninja who obsesses over power? She would be fooled into activating the materia, she simply wouldn't be able to resist.

Rufus' mind pondered elsewhere. 'Or what about Reno? He's served his purpose well when he was a member of our ranks, but now that he's apparently switched sides, he's nothing more than disposable.' Rufus continued to ponder, thinking about which course of action he would take. To him, it did not matter, however. As long as he had the upper hand, he was content. He felt as though he was on the verge of power, the verge of getting everything that he had wanted. He was not going to let anything get in his way.

* * *

Elena, Tseng and Reeve made their way through the snow-covered streets of Icicle Inn. The quaint village was built along a mountaintop, where skiers and recreationalists alike would typically gather to ski and enjoy the wonders of the natural, artic setting. The village's houses and shops were made from logs, featuring ornate wooden fixtures. It really was quite a lovely place, especially after the recent snowfall. The village was layered with a new blanket of white, crystalline snow, which spread as far as the eye can see.

The three would have enjoyed the beautiful setting, but there was a crisis at hand.

"Phew! That was hard!" Elena panted, trying to catch her breath.

Reeve agreed, "I knew that they weren't going to believe us."

When the three had arrived at Icicle Inn, they tried to spread word about the town's evacuation through the villagers, but they simply laughed them off. Tseng tried to make it explicably clear that they would be in great danger if they were to remain in the village and that they should evacuate immediately.

Some villagers were more than skeptical and instantly packed up their belongings, leaving the village and finding shelter elsewhere. Some villagers weren't willing to believe them, especially after their association with Shinra and had decided to continue on with their day. Many of the village's military forces had decided to stay back, in case there was an emergency and they were needed. It turns out, their decision was a good one. Some of the monsters that Jenova had summoned had started making their way closer to the village. The soldiers were there to take down the monsters, before they could do any serious damage to the village. Unfortunately, the soldiers had already lost a few of their numbers.

Regardless, word of an evacuation spread throughout Icicle Inn and the villagers reacted.

They continued across the icy plains, leading south from Icicle Inn, back towards the Forgotten City and the Bone Village.

"What do you think will happen?" Elena raised her voice, concern sounding throughout.

"I don't know." Reeve walked through the thick snow, shaking his head. "If there was anyone that would know what to do, it would be Cloud."

"I guess our days with Shinra are over now, huh?" Elena questioned, her voice sounding a bit bitter-sweet, but deep down inside, she couldn't be happier.

Tseng nodded, "Hm. I guess so. Don't worry, though. I'm sure we'll find some work we can do around the cities."

"That's right!" Elena agreed, smiling at Tseng. "Even without Shinra, the Turks will stick around! And once we get Reno back and knock some sense into Rude, we'll be back together again! An unstoppable team."

Reeve let out a laugh at Elena's seriousness. "An unstoppable team?" He let out another laugh. "When I was controlling Cait Sith, I'm pretty sure you guys were THE stoppable team."

"Yeah, yeah, whatever." Elena brushed off the comment, trailing closely behind Tseng.

Tseng pointed ahead towards the coast. "Well, would you look at that?" Coming into dock near one end of the icy plain, the three spotted a military ship. From afar, they could see several soldiers aboard the ship, surrounded by a rather masculine man in a different uniform then the rest of them.

"Hm? Military soldiers all the way out here? Do you think that know about Rufus and are here to fight?" Reeve questioned.

"I doubt it." Tseng answered back. "You want to go take a look?"

The three continued to trek their way across the white plains, approaching the docked ship off of the coast.

"Well, what do we got here?! Looks like three numbskulls to me!" A masculine man shouted towards the three of them, leading down the ship's ramp towards the three. 'Don't tell me you three are gonna try to mess up our plans, too!"

"Ehm...not exactly." Reeve stuttered for a moment, the presence of the man somewhat intimidating. "What a-are you doing here?"

"What's it look like!? We're the damn army. I'm the commander to the lot of these dumbass guys. We're here to pull our ranks out of the northern continent to help assist us over in Corel. We need all the help we can get, especially if Jenova really HAS been sighted in that damn desert."

"Wait, I don't think you should do that." Tseng approached the man.

"WHAT!? Why the hell not?" The commander shouted back.

"You haven't heard? Ex-President Shinra is as the crater and wants to use a weapon to destroy this place. There have been monsters coming from within the crater. They've made it as far as Icicle Inn already. The military soldiers have decided to stay in the villages and defend their cities."

"Well, damn!" The commander shouted. "At least a few of 'em got their damn heads on straight!" He pointed back towards the other soldiers on the ship. "If that's the case, I'll be taken these guys here with me up to the village. We'll be stronger with greater forces. We'll have those monsters taken care of in no time! Thanks for the help."

Tseng nodded in response. "So, you've already run into trouble making your way over here?"

"Phew! Like you wouldn't believe." The commander sighed, "First, we get delayed over in Junon, we ran into some troubles heading over towards Mideel, then some hoodlums attacked some of our soldiers and snuck their way onto our ship! Damn!"

One of the soldiers shouted from behind him. "Yeah, but boss, that one girl that got on the ship, damn, she was somethin' else!"

"Yeah, there was this one crazy chick that snuck onto the ship." He thought for a moment. "What was her name again? Er...Aret...right, Aerith. Crazy woman, I tell you."

"Aerith?" Reeve stepped forward approaching the man, as Tseng and Elena looked just as confused.

"Yeah, long brown hair, nice green eyes, pretty face. We ran into her off by Corel. You know her?" The commander questioned.

Reeve thought for a moment. "...Maybe." 'But it couldn't be."

"Damn, I tell you, she was a piece of work that one! She popped me right in the face. I woulda made her my second in command in a second. She got more guts than half those idiots." He was snapped out of his thoughts when he saw the soldiers standing about the ship. "Well, what the hell are you waiting for?! Let's get the hell over to Icicle Inn! Move out!" The soldiers started to march their way towards the village, weapons and armor in hand, preparing for the battle.

"Well, thanks anyway, guys." The commander turned back towards the three, his voice softer now, almost in a normal speaking tone. "I'll be going up there with those numbskulls. We'll fight to protect that village. Actually, as it turns out, this here is my last mission. From here, some new, younger guys is fillin' my shoes! Gettin' too old for this stuff anyway, my voice is nearly gone!" He let out a heartfelt laugh, one that almost seemed impossible to come from within this man's body. "I start my retirement as soon as this job's done."

"Good for you." Tseng nodded. "Best of luck to you."

"You guys, too. Don't worry, I'll continue fighting on, though." The commander smiled back at them, before heading to join the troops. "If you see Aerith, tell her I said thanks."

The three were left there, as they began to make their way towards the Forgotten City, continuing to cross the icy plains.

"I guess you can't judge a book by its' cover, especially with that guy, huh?" Elena questioned.

"So, do you think it's true?" Reeve raised the question.

"Hm?"

"About Aerith."

Tseng shook his head. "I don't know. If it is, how is that even possible? They said that they ran into her by Corel. What would Cloud and the others think if we told them?"

"I'm not sure." Reeve looked towards the caverns that led down into the depths of the City of the Ancients. "I guess we'll find out sooner or later."

* * *

Aerith marched her way through the streets of Corel, making her way towards the elevator shaft that made its' way towards the prison block. She was determined to find the truth and set Red free.

"Aerith!" Zack called out behind her. "Aerith, where are you going?!"

"The prison block. I'm going to help Red out."

Zack stared at her, wide-eyed. "Are you insane!? They'll think you're just as much of a criminal as he is!"

"I don't care!" Aerith stepped towards Zack, her fists clenching, a stern look on her face. "He's my friend. Now, yours, too. I'm not going to sit back and let him take the blame for something that we know he didn't do. If we don't do something, they are going to kill him tonight! I won't let that happen."

"What are you gonna do? I doubt they'd listen to reason."

She stated, matter-of-factly. "I know they won't listen to reason. They all believe that he's the one that did this, but we know better. Things aren't always what they seem. If we had some clues, some hints, maybe then we'd be able to free Red."

"You're right, we need to do something. We'll find some evidence, even if it's invisible, right under our noses."

Aerith nodded, "But first, I'd like to at least see Red." She made her way down towards the elevator shaft that led to the prison cells of Corel, she was followed closely behind by Zack. Once she got there, she was approached by a guard who was watching over the entrance.

"What business do you have here?" The guard's voice was stern and unrelenting.

Aerith didn't flinch for a moment. "I've come to see a friend."

"If you're talking about that murderous beast, it's out of the que-"

"You WILL allow me to see him." Aerith stepped closer to him. "Now move, or so help me, the next time I see you, you'd be lucky if you were able to move."

Inside, Aerith knew that she wasn't a mean or aggressive person, but after returning from the planet, having already died once, she felt like she was not one to be messed with. Especially when it came to her friends and everything that she held dear.

The guard stepped to the side and went to the security controls. "You have five minutes."

Aerith walked past the man and glanced at him out of the corner of her eye. "Thank you." Aerith and Zack stepped into the elevator, as the doors closed minutes later.

"So, where'd this new, kickass flower girl come from?" Zack questioned, a smile on his face.

"Don't mess with my friends." Aerith gave a small smile herself.

The elevator shaft came down to a halt as it reached the prison cells. Aerith and Zack stepped out into the dim corridor of the cell block. The room was lined with various cells. It was dark and gloomy down in the prison block, the only source of light coming from the stray windows along the wall. It took a moment for Aerith to find Red, laying in the shadows of one of the cells.

"Red!" She rushed over to his cell.

Red lifted up his head to find the flower girl running towards him, a sad look across his face. "Aerith..." He placed his paw just between the prison bars. It was then that she noticed his shackled paws. The shackles were so tight around his paws that he actually bled.

Aerith grasped his paw in-between her hands, almost as if pleading. "Red, I'm so sorry about all of this. If you hadn't gotten involved, none of this would have happened."

Red let out a small chuckle, "I guess you've picked up a few lines from Cloud, huh?" Red lowered his head again. "Aerith...", he paused for just a moment. "Did it hurt...to die?" He felt as if it was the wrong question to ask, but it came out before he even had a moment to think what he was asking.

She thought for a moment. "The pain was gone before I could even feel it. Though, I don't know why you're asking." She raised her palm to brush against his fur. "We're going to help you, Red. I'm not going to let you take the blame for something you didn't do. We're going to get you out of this."

Red simply shook his head. "How? They've already made up their mind. They already think I killed all of those soldiers..."

"But we know that you didn't. I'm looking for a way, Red. I'll find it, trust me."

A voice came from behind them. "It appears trust is overrated."

Aerith and Zack glanced back to find one of the guards approaching them. "It's time." The guard approached the prison cell and unlocked the cell, grasping Red with one arm as he did so. He raised a needle, injecting him with a tranquilizer of sorts, making Red docile and tired. The guard brought Red out of the cell.

"Time?" Zack questioned.

The guard turned back around towards them. "For his execution, of course." The guard made his way out of the prison block.

Aerith shot a quick glance at Zack, before rising to her feet, making her way towards the elevator. "We have to do something. Quickly!"

* * *

Cloud made his way through the crater, walking amongst the dead monsters. The other members of the team, followed closely behind him.

"Rufus..." Cloud muttered. The air throughout the area was thick, as a slight eerie tingle crept down his spine. The low mist continued to spread throughout the area, as the wind began to settle now.

"Where the hell is he?" Barret countered, taking a look throughout the crater.

They continued walking a few steps further, until Yuffie saw it there. Glowing at the base of one of the rocks, it was a beautiful, shiny...materia!

"Score!" Yuffie ran off towards the materia, it's beautiful, ruby glow twinkling in her eyes. She outstretched her hands towards the materia, ready to grasp the orb. The others gasped in shock, as Yuffie made her way towards her desired treasure.

"Yuffie, stop!" Vincent sprinted forward lunging at the girl. In an instant, she was enveloped into Vincent's cape for a second time that day. The wispy cape floated and bounced about the area, leading away from the materia.

"Ugh! Not again!" Yuffie felt like she was going to be sick to her stomach, before she landed on the ground moments later, Vincent standing above her. "Are you done yet? Next time, give me a warning before you make me disappear into that thing! I hate it when you do that teleportation stuff!"

Cloud quickly countered, "And WE hate it when you nearly have us killed."

Tifa sighed; she thought that Yuffie wouldn't become so easily distracted. She remembered though, it was hard for the barmaid to fully rely on Yuffie. "You should know better than that, Yuffie."

Reno sighed, "Great, just what I needed. To almost die...again." The tone of sarcasm was made very apparent in his voice.

From out of the fog, Rufus appeared. "Well, it's good to see all of you again. You came to save the day just as I expected. Very well done."

"Save it, Rufus! We're not going to allow you to use the materia!" Cloud shouted towards the man.

Rufus let out a laugh. "Oh, you idiots. I never had any intention of using it myself, that's where you all come into play." Rufus removed the pistol from his pocket, pointing it at each of them slowly. "So, what do you say we're done playing these games, Cloud? Let's just finish this."

Cloud let out a frustrated grunt. He didn't know what to do. He felt as though all of his friends' eyes were on him. "So, that's your plan? You're going to kill us just so you can make one of us activate that materia?"

"Well, originally, I was just going to kill one of you, but if I have to kill all of you, I can arrange accommodations." Rufus smiled, continuing to flash the gun between them. "So, what will it be? One of you gives up your lives to help me? Or would you rather I kill each of you off one by one and my lucky last survivor will be the one to pay the price instead?"

"I'd rather we just kill you right here!" Barret raised his gun towards the man. Rufus instantly raised his pistol up towards Barret and shot him in the arm, just above where the gun had been grafted into his arm. Barret let out a cry, as the bullet pierced his skin, his entire arm becoming numb, unable to move. "DAMN IT!"

"Barret!" Tifa ran to his side, helping the man. She instantly applied pressure to his wound, hoping to stop the bleeding that was coming from the man's arm.

"That was just a warning shot." Rufus smiled at them. "The next one won't be. So, what'll it be, Cloud?"

Cloud grimaced, before directing the others. "Tifa! Take Barret back to the ship now. The rest of you head out, too! I'll deal with him myself."

Tifa shook her head, "No, Cloud. You can't! We're supposed to fight this together!"

"Yeah! Let us help you!" Yuffie called out.

Cloud shook his head. "No. This is my battle to fight. I'll end all of this."

Rufus smiled at Cloud, "So dedicated to accept death, Cloud Strife."

Cloud shook his head towards the others, "Go!"

They each hesitated for a moment, unsure if Cloud was actually serious. The look on his face told them that he was not one to be fooled. Tifa nodded her head at Cloud, helping Barret up to his feet. Yuffie, Reno, and Vincent quickly trailed behind them. They approached the Highwind, which was just looming in the distance.

They soon heard Cid come over the intercom. "What the hell's happening down there!?"

"Abort! Abort! We gotta get outta here now!" Yuffie shouted, climbing up the rope. "This place is gonna blow!"

Barret grasped onto the rope with his one arm, wincing from the pain.

Tifa looked at him. "Can you make it?"

Barret nodded, "I'll be fine. The fight doesn't end here."

She looked back. "What about Cloud? We can't leave him there!"

Barret shook his head. "Tifa, I thought you knew better."

Tifa glanced over at him, almost as if Barret's words were some cruel joke. "What?"

Barret smiled, making his way up the ladder. "Spike's got something up his sleeve." Tifa continued up the ladder, followed by Reno.

When they reached the deck of the airship, Yuffie helped Barret inside, making their way towards the cockpit. They were informing Cid that they had to get out of there immediately.

It was then that Reno noticed the small copter on the outskirts of the crater. He examined it closer. "Oh, come on." He saw Rude sitting by the copter. "No, no! Don't tell me he's that stupid!" Reno made his way back down towards the rope ladder, making his way back down towards the ground.

Tifa spotted him and frantically leaned over the side of the railing. "Where are you going!? You can't leave!"

"I'm getting Rude's dumbass! He's over by the copter."

"Reno! Stop! You can't go!" Tifa shouted back after him. "We're leaving!"

"It'll just be a quick second! I'll come back, I promise!"

"Reno!" Tifa continued to shout after him. He already sprinted his way across the crater, making his way towards the copter. Tifa looked back and forth between the cockpit and Reno. Tifa let out a sigh, "Damn it, Reno..." She grasped onto the rope and made her way back down towards the crater, quickly chasing after the man. It was then that the creatures began to emerge. The creatures full of Jenova's cells emerging from the planet.

"There's no time for that!" Tifa skillfully dodged her way between the creatures, following closely behind Reno.

Reno made his way over to the copter. "Rude! Come on, buddy! Get the hell up!" Reno grabbed Rude by his shoulders, forcing the man up.

"Reno! What the hell are you doing!?"

"I'm not letting you go along with Rufus, you dumbass!" Reno countered.

"He told me to wait here for us to escape after the materia was activated."

Reno sighed and laughed, "Since when have we ever followed orders? Besides, you're supposed to be MY partner in crime, not his! Time to cut his losses. You're with us now, Rude, whether you like it or not!"

Tifa caught up to them. "There you are! Let's go! We have to get outta here!"

"Ah, just reuniting with my old pal here, no biggie. Rude's with us now."

"Come on, let's go!" The three sprinted their way across the crater, heading towards the monsters. Tifa charged towards one of them, knocking them to the ground, while Reno and Rude sprinted forward. Rude attacked one of the monsters with his fists, allowing Tifa to lead the way back towards the Highwind.

Rude climbed up the rope ladder, as Yuffie awaited them on the deck! "Come on, hurry up, you guys!"

"After you." Reno gestured for Tifa to grasp the rope, helping her with her footing. She began to make her way back up the rope, followed closely behind by Reno. Tifa was about halfway there, when suddenly the airship jolted up. It began moving! "Whoa!"

Tifa lost her balance, letting go of the rope, as she began to fall back down towards the hard floor. "Tifa!" Reno shouted, as she fell. Reno extended his hand, catching Tifa's just in time.

Yuffie sighed, relieved. "Cid, what the hell are you doing!?" She ran back inside, prepared to scold Cid like the had never done before. "I know we're supposed to head out of here, but can we at least make sure we're onboard first!"

Tifa hung onto Reno's hand for a moment, before he brought her up to him, as she held her arms around his waist. He securely grasped her shoulders with his free hand, making sure that she wasn't going anywhere. Tifa looked up into his eyes for a moment.

"You...you saved me."

Reno smiled and winked at her. "It was the honorable thing to do."

Tifa glanced back at him for another moment, as he continued to hold her there. The two of the remained clutching onto the rope, staring at each other for just a moment longer. Tifa felt as though her heart was about to leap out of her chest, though she wasn't quite sure if it was because of her close encounter with death or because of her close proximity to Reno. She could almost feel Reno's heartbeat match hers.

Reno smiled, continuing to hold her. "Well, you said you always wanted a hero to come save you, right?"

Tifa looked up at him for just a moment longer, before she moved her face closer to his, as he did the same. She closed her eyes, just as her lips finally met his in a soft, simple kiss. She pulled back for a moment, looking at Reno's smiling face and let out a small giggle.

"Come on, let's go!"

Back in the crater, Cloud and Rufus faced each other, amidst the fallen creatures of the Jenova.

"Well done, Cloud. Because of you, you'll help me reform the Shinra Company, you'll help play a part in defeating Jenova and you'll become the hero that you always wanted to be." Rufus taunted Cloud.

"Shut up!" Cloud advanced towards Rufus, his sword drawn. Cloud eyes the destruction materia just a few feet away. "I've had enough of this. It's time that we finished this, Rufus!"

Rufus continued to mock Cloud. "You know, we're both very similar, you and I. We're both powerful...and we both had dreams that cost us a lot of bloodshed. You're the wannabee hero that failed his friends. I'm the president's son that could never leave up to his father's name."

Cloud shook his head, "I'm nothing like you!"

"You're right, Cloud." Rufus turned to him, pointing his gun directly towards his chest. "You're worse. You couldn't even protect the thing that you cherished the most."

Rufus smiled when he saw Cloud's face drop.

"What do you think she would say if she could see you right now?" Rufus let out a laugh. "...If she wasn't dead."

His words sent Cloud into a rage, charging towards the man, his sword in hand. Rufus aimed his pistol and fired, shooting Cloud in the shoulder. Cloud fell backwards, grimacing in the pain. Just feet away from him, he could make out the destructive materia. It was just within his reach. Cloud gasped, as he felt his warm blood drip down his shoulder. 'Is this it? Is this the end?'

"All you need to do is touch it with your own human flesh and your pain will be over." Rufus tried to persuade Cloud, as he rose the pistol towards the soldier.

Cloud closed his eyes for a moment. 'Aerith...'

"Do it!" Rufus shouted, raising his gun towards the man.

A shot was fired, but not from Rufus' gun.

Rufus turned around to see Vincent's cloaked figure behind him, pistol in hand. "Ah, so it comes back down to this, after all."

"Enough, Rufus." Vincent sneered.

"My, how unfortunate for all of you." Rufus took a step closer towards them. "The two of you failed to protect the things you cherished most, what similar ties we all share. You were all so weak, when my only possession, the thing I cherish most is power. I will have it today."

"Power will spell your doom."

Cloud grimaced as he sat up, his hand moving towards the materia. "Vincent! Leave!" Cloud outstretched his hand towards the destructive materia, as it was just within his reach.

The Highwind floated along the air, dangerously close to the proximity of the northern crater, as the group of friends watched intently on the impending danger faced below, anxious and doubtful. The anxiety and fear rose when it was discovered that members were missing from the team, still scattered about the crater. They heard gunshots erupt from the pits of the crater. It was then when it happened.

A blast erupted. An explosion ripped from the depths of the scarred land, sending out an impulse which shook the world. The Highwind sputtered and rocked from the shockwave. The explosion poured out from the crater, spreading fire blasts along the icy surface of the northern continent, the infernos continuing along the icy mountain trails, leading towards the cold, blue ocean. The destructive blasts shook and broke apart the land, tearing apart the northern crater, completely shifting the formation of the entire body of land. Fire and explosions ripped through the crater, charring and disintegrating the land into small, fragmented islands which burned into nothing. The destruction continued to spread, engulfing the entire northern continent.

It then struck the group. All at once, a deep sorrow fell amongst them. As if it was a horrible instinct, they knew, someone left on the continent was dead.

The day had seemed like it was going to be an ordinary day.

* * *

Whew! This really should have been separated into two chapters, but I wanted it to be one, epic chapter altogether! So much happening, so many cliffhangers! Thank you everyone for reading so far! I hope you're enjoying it! The story still has a long way to go still, even though there is so much happening early on.

And to **koskaoru**, thank you so much for reading and reviewing, I really appreciate it! I'm glad that you're enjoying the story so far!

I love getting reviews, so if any other readers out there want to post them, I will definitely be happy to see them.

And now finally, there might just be a small hiatus until the next chapter, nothing major, but I'll give you a small synopsis of the next chapter, so you can see what will be coming up.

**Chapter Ten - Death Sentence - **The team recuperates after the destruction of the northern continent, leaving them to face the explosive aftermath of Rufus' destructive materia. A death changes everything for their lives. A secret lays deep within the Forgotten City. Aerith and Zack desperately attempt to save Red's life, but when their journey brings them to the Gold Saucer, Aerith finds herself running into more problems and an unexpected encounter that she did not see coming.

Thanks for reading! Come back, you guys!


	10. Death Sentence

**Chapter Ten - Death Sentence**

The Highwind loomed above the crater, as the team members watched hopelessly from the deck of the floating ship. From below, they heard a gun fire and could only wonder what was transpiring in the depths below.

"What's happening down there?" Yuffie shouted, examining the scene below.

"I don't know." Tifa looked up from mending Barret's gun-shot wound, applying pressure as she did so. "Cloud and Vincent better make it back here quickly!"

"If they can make it back over here." Reno replied quickly, a serious expression on his face. "Let's not forget about Reeve, Elena and Tseng, either. Who knows where they are? If they don't find cover, they'll be done for, too!"

"Reno, don't talk like that!" Tifa scolded him, not wanting to think of the consequences of having their friends die. "C'mon, Cloud. Vincent. Come on, guys."

Their breaths hitched for a moment, waiting what was to come.

Back in the depths of the crater below, the confrontation between Cloud and Vincent against Rufus continued.

"Enough, Rufus." Vincent sneered.

"My, how unfortunate for all of you." Rufus took a step closer towards them. "The two of you failed to protect the things you cherished most, what similar ties we all share. You were all so weak, when my only possession, the thing I cherish most is power. I will have it today."

"Power will spell your doom."

Cloud grimaced as he sat up, his hand moving towards the materia. "Vincent! Leave!" Cloud outstretched his hand towards the destructive materia, as it was just within his reach. Cloud winced at the pain the bullet wound in his shoulder had inflicted on him. Just a little further and he could reach the materia, it was just at the tip of his fingers. 'Come on, this is it!' "Vincent, get out of here! NOW!"

Rufus sneered, "Do it, Cloud!"

Vincent turned towards Cloud, approaching the fallen soldier. Just as Cloud was about to grasp the destructive materia, Vincent brought his boot down onto Cloud's arm.

Cloud tried to move his arm, unable to extend his hand to grasp the materia any further. "Vincent! What the hell are you doing?!" Cloud could not move his hand under the weight of Vincent's foot.

"I told you. Death doesn't you." Vincent lowered his mutilated arm towards the ground. "Let this fight fall into my hands." He reached down, his hand reaching to grasp the materia.

Cloud's eyes widened, "No, Vincent! Stop! If you let me do it, you still have a chance to escape!"

Rufus smiled at the scene. "My, how conflicting. Just get on with it already." He took a few steps back, ready to make his way back towards the copter.

"Yes. Conflicting, indeed." Vincent let out a small nod, before reaching down taking hold of the materia in the palms of his mutilated hand.

"Vincent!" Cloud shouted at, but it was already done.

Rufus smiled. "Yes. A worthy death that would re-create the Shinra Company. I couldn't have done it without you, Vincent."

"No." Vincent turned back to the man, holding the materia in his clawed hand. "You couldn't." Vincent flashed the materia in his abnormal hand, holding it up. Nothing was happening.

Cloud sat up, as Rufus' eyes widened, as he stuttered, "That's impossible."

"No. It's your beloved company's experiments that did this to me. Mutilating me, turning my arm in-human. Thanks to Hojo, your own weapon will not work on me." Vincent approached Rufus. "Your own thirst for power will seal your fate." Vincent took another step closer to the man. "I'm sorry, my beloved Lucrecia."

Cloud could only watch the scene before him. The tides were turning in the most unexpected of ways.

Rufus took a few steps back, stumbling and falling backwards as he did so. "No!"

"My penance is sealed." Vincent grasped Rufus' neck with his arm, holding the materia up. "Shinra...has fallen." Vincent brought the destructive materia down to Rufus' hand.

There was a spark, a flame of sorts. The materia became attached to Rufus' hand, as he tried to whip the orb away. The materia did not move. Rather, the orb began to sink itself into Rufus' palm, almost as if Rufus was absorbing its' power into his body. Rufus let out a scream, the materia melted into his hand, almost as if it was burning sensation ripping through his body.

Vincent backed up a few steps. Rufus' fate was already sealed. Vincent quickly ran over to Cloud and grasped the fallen soldier's arm. "Hold on."

Cloud nodded his head and grasped his friend's hand. In a flash, Cloud and Vincent were both absorbed into Vincent's billowing cape, which dashed away from the area at a quickening pace. In an instant, the two of them were gone.

Rufus let out a scream, anguished and angered as his plan had back-fired in a way that even he could not suspect. The flaming feeling ripped through his body, almost as if he was on fire. It charred him, burned his skin from the inside out. Rufus lowered his head, feeling blood drip from within his mouth. "You fuckers." Rufus let out another anguished scream, as a plume of fire erupted from the man's throat, burning him.

Moments later, his body writhed and contorted before growing still for a moment. A blast erupted from within his body, decimating his completely. The explosion ripped through the crater, pummeling and churning the ground. A shockwave protruded from the explosion, causing the very earth to shake and sputter. The blast from the explosion burnt the crater to a crisp, ripping and destroying the continent, burning it off into small fragments of islands.

The blast continued south approaching the high mountainous peaks leading the way towards Icicle Inn. The blast ripped through the mountain tops as if they were nothing, sending the mountains crashing down, creating an avalanche of snow and flames mixed. The blast continued, completely destroying the northern continent.

In the small village of Icicle Inn, the commander and his soldiers were fighting off the monstrous creatures that Jenova had sent. Countless bodies and creatures were slain, laying in the soft snow. The crystalline, white snow was contrasted against the dark shades of red blood that splattered across the village. In the midst of the battle, it was then that the commander saw it. The explosion approached the village faster and faster, there was no escaping it.

The commander knew, this was it. "Alright men, hold your ground!" The soldiers continued battling the creatures, but deep in their hearts, they already knew that it was too late. As the explosion approached the village faster and faster, the commander raised his hand to wipe away a stray tear that had fallen from his face. The blast ripped through the village, destroying and decimating all of the people and buildings within.

The explosions continued south, making their way down the icy plains, towards the Forgotten City. The blast broke apart the land, burning away at the continent.

In the Forgotten Capitol, Tseng, Elena and Reeve made out the approaching blasts arriving faster and faster.

"Hey...you g-guys." Elena stuttered, taking a few steps back.

Reeve took a few steps back, examining the fiery explosions that came like a storm cloud blasting towards them. "Oh, crap..."

"Take cover." Tseng commanded sternly. The three instantly ran in the opposite direction, heading towards an icy, blue forested area, leading to the forgotten seashell house, where Aerith had previously prayed for Holy. They knew that there was a very slim chance of survival, but they were not going to go down so easily, either.

The three continued to run, but they knew that it wasn't going to be of much help. They glanced behind their shoulders to see the approaching explosion, but then stopped in their tracks.

Behind them, they saw a shield of sorts, almost as if it was a bubble. It completely surrounded the Forgotten Capitol, encasing it within this shield.

"What's...happening?" All Elena could do was stare and gawk at the mysterious scene unfolding before their eyes.

There was another jolt of the land, when the blast rushed forward full on, clashing against the shield that surrounded the city. There was a bright white light that seemed to engulf the area. The shield did not waver, rather it repelled the destructive explosions backwards. The land continued to shake and move, as Elena, Tseng and Reeve fell to the ground. From within the shield, they saw the destruction dissipate into the air, leaving behind it a sea of fiery, burning infernos.

"What was that?" Elena questioned, wondering how they could have possibly escaped with their lives.

Tseng stepped forward. "Protection." He nodded his head, almost as if he was agreeing with himself. "Something powerful enough to fight back against a destructive materia. Something more powerful, I'd say."

It took Reeve a moment before he realized. "The white materia. It was the white materia that protected this place!"

From the deck of the Highwind, the team made out the destruction wiping out the continent below. The entirety of the northern continent had been destroyed, with the small exception of the Forgotten City. A sea of smoke billowed beneath them, rising into the air. The destructive force of the blasts were so powerful that the center of the ocean now features a large circular ring, imbedded into the watery surface. On the rim of the circular ring, waterfalls cascaded down the sides, marking the spot of where the crater once stood.

From the center of the ring, streams of the Lifestream protruded forward, sending off wispy strays of energy up into the sky. It was with this energy that Rufus had wanted to recreate the Shinra Company, but that day would never come to be.

One by one, the team members slowly lowered their heads. Cloud and Vincent were missing and Rufus still got his wish of destroying the northern continent.

Yuffie did her best to try and hold back the tears, but could not resist when she saw the tears already streaming down Tifa's face. Barret consoled her.

Then, a moment later, they heard it. A clanging against the deck. They quickly made their way towards the side of the deck and looked over. There, hanging onto the railing was Cloud and Vincent.

"Hey guys." Cloud smiled at all of them.

"Cloud! Vincent" There was a sigh of relief from everyone.

"Aw, shit! That asshole always making a scene!" Barret laughed out

Yuffie quickly wiped away her tears, careful not to mess up her appearance in front of them. "You jerks! I'm gonna kick your asses when you get up here!"

They helped Cloud and Vincent arrive on the deck of the ship, as the two sat down in the corner of the deck.

The soldier looked over towards Vincent. "Thanks for helping me out. You were right, death wasn't the answer."

Vincent nodded. "The conducted experiments do prove to wield their advantages occasionally. Don't reap the benefit of it."

"We did it!" Tifa cheered, running up to hug Cloud, Barret and Yuffie. Vincent remained quiet off towards the side.

"Ugh, grossing me out." Reno remarked at the scene.

"Oh, come on, Reno!" Yuffie turned to him. "In light of recent events, I think you deserve a hug, too!" Yuffie began to chase the man around the deck of the ship, as Reno tried desperately to out-run her. Yuffie eventually gave up her playful pursuit, "Oh, fine. You big meanie!"

Reno advanced towards Tifa. "Besides, I'm pretty sure you'll be able to find some way to help me celebrate later." Reno suggestively winked at Tifa.

Tifa stood there for a moment and allowed the blush to color her cheeks. She smiled, "We'll just have to see."

Barret turned to Cloud, "Yo man, you alright? We both got beat up pretty bad I guess, huh?" Barret let out a boisterous laugh.

Cloud nodded his head. "Yeah, I'll be fine." He pointed towards the wound on his shoulder. "I just need to get this patched up."

"I gotcha." Barret nodded. "I can' believe it. We fought and took down Shinra. Maybe not the most successful win, the whole damn continent was burnt out for God's sakes! Rufus is gone, though! Took us damn long enough."

The team members on the deck let out a laugh.

"Yeah." Cloud smiled, "We did it."

* * *

Aerith and Zack approached the outskirts of the town, where a group of men were taking Red towards a wooden post. Just on the outskirts of the town, many of the oil mechanism were located, a convenience for the town's oil reconnaissance.

"This is ridiculous!" Aerith turned to Zack. "There isn't enough evidence to justify Red having to die! We have to do something."

"How? We already tried. They won't listen to us."

Aerith looked around the area, wondering if there was some way that they could distract them. "Well, I'm not going to sit back and watch one of my friends die."

They watched as they shackled Red to the wooden posts by one of the oil mechanisms. They cuffed his paws and legs to the shackles, securing them, making sure he was not able to escape. Red raised his head to Aerith, a look of sadness across his face, before lowering his head.

It didn't take long for the angry chants to start crying their way across the outskirts.

"Kill it! Make sure it ruins no more lives!"

"Make it pay for what it did!"

"Kill that monster!"

The cheers continued to grow only louder.

Aerith shook her head and closed her eyes. "Come on..." Zack looked at Aerith and from her expression, he could tell that she was in deep thought, almost as if she was meditating. She clasped her hands together, raising them up to her chest. "Work...come on..."

More of the villagers arrived on the outskirts of town, surrounding the post, wanting to see the execution take place. Red remained in place and accepted it, refusing to look up from the jeering crowd. He was willing to accept this fate and now, all he had left was to wait for it.

A line of soldiers soon appeared, each of them holding a rifle in their arms. They stood before the post, eyeing the red wolverine mysteriously. One of the soldiers called out a command, "Take your positions." They lined up, one soldier standing beside the other in a straight row.

Aerith focused more, her breath becoming heavier and rugged. This was it, her only chance. "Come on...come on..."

"Aim." A soldier called out, as all of them raised their rifles towards Red, aiming for his head.

Aerith shut her eyes tighter, her hands trembling, trying to push out the reality around her.

"FIRE!"

Red closed his eyes and waited for the end to come.

The soldiers placed their fingers on the trigger and fired. The bullets raced across the outskirts of the town, aiming directly at Red.

Aerith clasped her hands together even tighter, tears streaming down her face, her body shaking. Her eyes snapped open, realizing that she was taken completely out of reality.

Whiteness engulfed her. For an instant she saw him there, as thoughts raced through her head. On the deck of the ship, resting, he clutched a wound on his shoulder, a small grin across his face. He looked as boyishly handsome as ever.

"Cloud..."

* * *

Cloud clutched the wound on his shoulder, before reality faded around him completely. Whiteness engulfed him. Several images raced through his head.

"Cloud..."

His eyes widened. It was her. "Aerith..."

He saw her there, clad in a soldier uniform, her hair down, her beautiful, emerald green eyes staring into his. For a moment, Aerith reached out to him, a beautiful smile starting to spread across her face. He stretched out his hand forwards as the same smile began to appear on his own face. He could see her, he could almost feel her, their fingertips just barely touching one another as they had done before.

"I found you." Several images and memories filled their minds, overcoming them with emotion.

* * *

_I'm Aerith._

_ Cloud._

_Say Cloud, have you ever been a bodyguard?_

_One date._

_ I think she likes you Cloud!_

_I knew that Cloud would come for me._

_I'll take you someday._

_But I'm...we're here for you._

_ Cloud, I'm searching for you._

_I want to meet you._

_Cloud and Aerith's star. A perfect match!_

_My fingers are tingling, my mouth is dry, my eyes are burning!_

_...I think I can meet her there..._

_ She was smiling until the end._

_Meeting her again...that is my dream._

_ I want to be forgiven more than anything._

_I never blamed you not once. You came for me, that's all that mattered._

_ See? Everything's alright._

_This is a Promised Land._

_I'm searching for you, Aerith._

_He was always there to fight for me. _

_Aerith..._

* * *

Cloud snapped back for a moment, the memories flashing through his mind one after the other, as Aerith faded before him in an instant. He was back on the deck of the airship, his hand outstretched. His eyes widened, as he tried to understand what had just overtaken his body. 'What...was that?'

Cloud felt his heart sank for a moment. He was so close to taking her hand in his. He wasn't sure if this vision was real or an illusion. It could have been just some imaginary dream that appeared, due to the strenuous battle at the northern crater. Regardless, Cloud felt her presence there.

* * *

Aerith snapped back into reality, as well, just in time to see the soldiers' fire the bullets towards Red. In an instant, she felt like time had stopped. The air around her becoming thick and heavy. She felt a rush of sorts, a wave of energy passing through her body, running from her feet, through her chest, up to her head. It felt familiar, but much more powerful than she had ever felt.

She felt an impulse burst from within her, a ray of golden, sparkling light. "What?" She muttered under her breath, unsure of what to make out of all of this.

Time suddenly continued forward. The bullets raced towards the red wolverine, but disintegrated into the air before ever touching the wolf.

Red stood there for a moment, before opening one of his eyes. '...Huh?'

The crowd looked around at one another, unsure of what to think. Speculation and discussion took off like wildfire amongst them.

"Again!" One of the guards shouted. They raised their rifles and fired again. The bullets never graced Red's skin. They were gone just as they were about to touch him.

Aerith looked down at her palms and smiled. It was powerful. This power of healing and protection returned to her. She used it several times before in the Lifestream to heal the world of Geostigma, but upon coming back, the powers seemed lost to her, almost as if she had forgotten it in the transition back into the real world. 'Not anymore.'

Zack turned to her. "Is that...you doing...that?"

Aerith nodded. The shield remained intact around Red. It felt powerful. She felt powerful.

"What's this?" One of the guards approached the post, ready to shoot Red at point blank range. He raised his gun towards the wolverine. Red grimaced, he knew that there was a force protecting him, but he was not willing to take any chances. The guard put his hand on the trigger, when suddenly a projectile of blood shot from within the guard's neck. The onlookers gasped in horror at the sight, quickly fleeing the scene.

The guard fell to the floor, clutching his wound. A deep bite mark appeared on the man's neck, as some unseen being begun to attack him, deep gashes and claw marks scraped across his body, ripping him apart. The remaining onlookers let out a cry of shock and surprise. It was then that they knew, whatever killed those innocent men, it wasn't Red.

The guard's body was mutilated and destroyed, before another guard was sent to the floor, being attacked in the same manner. The crowd let out another cry, as they began to scramble about the outskirts of the town, running, fleeing the scene, trying to find escape. The "being" continued his torture amongst the people of the crowd.

"Come on, let's go!" Aerith shouted to Zack.

She bolted across the desert sand, making her way towards the post where Red was shackled. She dodged her way through the crowds of people who were running in all directions.

"Red!" She shouted out to the wolverine. She looked around for a moment, before finding a set of keys on the belt of one of the dead guards. She ran over to the body and began to unclasp the keys, making her way back over to Red.

She began to test the keys into the locks of Red's shackles, wanting to find the proper one to free him. "You'll be free, Red."

"Um, Aerith..." Zack said.

Aerith looked behind her. She could see the sweeping motion of the desert sand, as if a large beast was stomping amongst it. Large footprints appeared in the sands, approaching the post. She quickly turned back to the shackles and tried another one of the keys. She inserted the key into the lock and one of the two pairs of shackles fell off.

"You found it, Aerith!"

She returned the key to the lock on the shackles fastening Red's legs. She could hear the approaching footprints behind her, becoming louder and closer. She unlocked the shackles and Red was free. Just in time, Red and Aerith rolled out of the way, just in time to see the post become mangled and destroyed, splitting in half.

"Yes!" Zack cheered by the hasty evasion of whatever thing thing's attack was.

"It's that thing, that's what caused all of this." Aerith stated, looking towards the desert, as if searching for the invisible being.

The three slowly backed up, sensing the footprints in the sand shift towards them, as if gearing up for another attack.

"I've heard tales of this before from Bugenhagen." Red began, "Tales of a ferocious beast that prowls the desert sands. He called it the Hakai, a destructive creature, masked by illusion, a mirage of sorts."

Aerith nodded, "And that's why they never tracked it, they couldn't see it...even when it was right in front of us the whole time."

"He ever give you any pointers on how to kill it?" Zack tried to snap them out of the small conversation, when he noticed the footsteps approaching them.

"We'll find out right now." Aerith stated, simply. "Let's do it ourselves."

He looked at her, wide-eyed. "H-hang on! Aerith, are you insane? Teams of trained soldiers have been killed by this thing."

"Right, because they never saw it coming. We have it right here, we can get it. We have an advantage."

"She's right." Red nodded, "We have it tracked down, we can have it cornered and defeat it right here."

"Ok, you're t-" Zack was interrupted when a force sent him flying backwards, falling into a pile of the desert sand. He grunted, as he looked up, facing them. "Damn. This is gonna be hard."

Red lunged forward, grasping onto the invisible beast, biting his fangs into the beast's skin. A loud roar came from the beast moments later. Red was relentless at clawing and biting the creature, until the being eventually came to shake the wolverine off.

Aerith ran forwards, in-between the oil mechanisms that were used during the oil reconnaissance. There was an overly abundant smell of oil in the air. The large mechanisms were filled with the dense, dark liquid. There was a large bin overhead, suspended by a pair of wooden scaffolding. She quickly attempted kicking down the wooden planks, but it didn't work. She felt the creature approaching, closer and closer, almost as if she could feel its breath running down her neck.

Zack got back up on his feet and lunged towards the monster, punching it, but doing very little damage. The creature whipped him back a few good feet, before prowling about searching for Aerith. Red continued to lunge at the monstrous creature, biting and clawing away at the beast's skin. The creature seemed to be effected only slightly.

Zack ran across the area, picking up the mangled post that Red was previously shackled to. The edges of the post were broken, sharp and splintered. 'A perfect weapon.' he thought, glancing at the rugged beam of wood.

Aerith felt the monster approach her; she saw the parting sands of the footprints approach, just a mere ten feet away from her. She continued to push down on the wooden scaffolding, her breath becoming rough and heavy. She gave one last push, as the wooden scaffolding snapped, the above mechanism collapsing down, sending oil spilling down onto the monster. Aerith quickly removed herself from within the scaffolding and made her way back to Red and Zack.

The monster was covered in the dark, dense liquid. It slithered across the desert sand, unable to contain its' composure. The oil was slimy and greasy, causing the monster to slip and fall, unable to keep its fierce battle stance. The monster was completely covered in the oil, making it visible for all to see.

"At least now we can see it." Zack stated, staring at the monster, which appeared to be a lion like creature of sorts, with a large antennae beaming from within its' head. "It's not exactly a pretty sight."

Now that the monster was visible, it made the battle much easier. Zack rushed towards the beast, the rugged post in his hands. As he approached the monster, he raised the post up, before bringing it back down, impaling the monster with its sharp edge. The monster let out another blood-curdling scream, before whipping his claw at Zack, sending the man flying.

Red jumped into the air, leaping towards the monster, but the being was simply too fast. The creature evaded Red's attack and sent the wolverine flying.

Aerith looked to her sides, as Zack and Red were recuperating from the attack. She stood her ground, waiting for the monster to approach her, a determined glint in her eyes. The footsteps came closer and closer, she could almost feel the breath of the monster on her skin. She closed her eyes for just a moment, pushing herself out of reality, just as she had done before.

The monster raised his claw into the air, ready to kill the young woman. It was then, Aerith felt it again. There was a wave of energy that seemed to pass through her entire body, but this time, it felt different. When the energy had passed through her, she felt more...powerful. She saw the beast raise his claw and just as it came swiping down towards her, she extended out her hands.

A force came blasting from within Aerith's hands. It was green and light, sparkling in the air. It looked as if the forces of the Lifestream were protruding from within her fingertips. The blast hit the monster with a strong force, sending it reeling back, unable to fight back against the power. Her hands shook from the mere strength of the attack. The powerful blast caused her hair to blow behind her, as she struggled to keep the attack going. It took all of her might just to keep the force withstanding.

Zack and Red stared at her in awe, questioning the girl's immense powers.

Aerith reeled back for a second, before extending her hands outward again, this time, the attack even more powerful. The blasts of green light whipped through the monsters, sending it back, falling towards the ground, as the creature let out a cry. Aerith winced from the force of the attack, her eyes closing, muscles aching; it seemed to drain her of her strength and became a burden to keep it enacted for much longer.

'Just a little more...' The light from within Aerith's palms became so bright that it seemed to engulf the entire area. She pulled back for a second, as the attack ended. When the light had faded, they saw that the monster had completely disappeared. It was gone.

Aerith reeled back for a moment, before falling towards the ground. She breathed in heavily, her lids drooping down over her eyes. "What...was that?" She, herself, could not even fully understand or explain her own powers.

Zack ran up to her and smiled, placing a hand on her shoulder. "That...is an excellent topic of conversation for when we get the hell out of here. At least we got Red out of this mess, though."

"You're right." Aerith started, "Too much...trouble...in one...pl-" She let out a gasp when she never finished her words. She slowly fell back into the sand, resting her head down, her arms outstretched.

"Aerith?" Zack looked down over her. For an instant, Zack panicked. He brought her head down to rest on his arm. He brought up two of his fingers to her neck to check for her pulse, feeling relieved when he could sense a steady pulse.

"Don't worry." Red examined the woman. "She's only asleep. The attack must have taken a lot out of her. She'll need her rest, though. We should try and find someplace to let her sleep."

"Though, I doubt we'd be able to find a place in this town. They're not exactly too fond of any of us over here." Zack gave a quick smile back at Red. "We really owe her one."

"That we do." Red glanced over Aerith, as her chest continued to rise and fall with each steady breath. She looked so peaceful. "She's always been strong like this, putting others' needs and concern before her own. She's always the one to help others first."

They noticed the small crowd that gathered just on the outskirts of the town. At the sight of the fallen beast, they let out a cheer. They gathered to celebrate the defeat of the monster, joyous that they would not have to worry about the creature causing any more destruction throughout the already devastated town. One of the men rushed towards the three.

"Thank you so much for defeating that creature. We're so sorry for everything that had happened. Is there any way that you could forgive us?" He directed his last statement towards Red specifically.

Red hesitated for a moment before nodding. "Yes."

"Thank you, you saved all of us. You helped protect Corel from that being. Is there any way we can pay back this debt to you."

Zack hesitated for a moment, "Well, do you guys thing that you can get us a place to stay? Our friend here needs her rest. We'll probably only be staying the night anyway."

"Yes, of course. We'll see what we can do."

"Thank you." Zack replied.

"Of course, in these here parts, it might not be anything too lavish, but we'll try to get you the best of the best. It's the least we could do after everything that we've put you through. Even after our wrongful accusations, you still helped us out. You're some good folks. We'll go get a place prepared."

The villagers marched off, preparing the accommodations for the three of them. Zack lifted Aerith up in his arms and began trailing behind the villagers with Red following closely behind.

"I guess we'll be staying here for just a little while longer."

* * *

The Highwind floated above the ocean, keeping its distance from the destructive remnants of the northern continent.

"Well, I'd say that was a damn close call." Cid shouted in the cockpit. "Good thing y'all escaped with yer skins intact."

"Yeah." Cloud was still entranced by the image of Aerith that he had just seen. It couldn't escape his mind. Cloud raised a hand to brush through his hair, but winced at the pain from his wound.

Shera placed gauze padding onto Cloud's shoulder, absorbing the blood. "Try not to move, Cloud. We have to patch this up."

"Thanks. Sorry."

Shera gave Cloud a questioning glance. "You alright, Cloud?"

"Yeah." Cloud said silently, lowering his head.

Shera was unconvinced but decided to not pester Cloud. Whatever was bothering him, she knew that Cloud did not want to talk about it and no amount of persuading him would get him to open up about it. 'He'll come around sooner or later.'

"So, things didn't really turn out in the way that we expected them, huh?" Reno chimed in.

Barret walked up towards the front of the cockpit. "Nope, Rufus is dead, 'bout hella time, too."

"I just thought that we'd be able to do this without all of the destruction." Tifa placed a finger on her chin. "To think that an entire continent was destroyed by that man, simply unimaginable."

"Yeah," Reno continued, "but the good news, Jenova's cells are gone. They've been destroyed along with the rest of the continent. No chances of her returning again after this, about damn time, too."

"Right!" Yuffie chimed in, "So, now all we have to do is track her down ourselves and then we can beat her one last time! She'll be done for!"

"Right, but I feel like tracking her down sounds easier than it will be. She's not going to want to take any chances. Reno was interrupted as his phone began to ring. "Hello?" He made his way out of the cockpit.

"I'm just fine with the Shinra finally bein' done for!" Barret laughed. "No Rufus or company we have to deal with, the Turks are on our side now, no more secrets or ways to fool the people of the planet. It's like this is what we been fightin' for the entire time. We got it."

"Yes." Vincent stood in the corners of the cockpit. "Shinra is finished."

Tifa nodded, "Once we track down Jenova, we'll finally be able to put an end to all of this." She smiled at the idea. It seemed like the struggles with Jenova, Shinra and Sephiroth had affected their lives since the beginning. Now, the idea that all of their struggles would finally be coming to an end, it was enough to drive their incentive to defeat Jenova for good. "We heard that Jenova was seen in Corel, right?"

"Yeah." Barret nodded, "I gotta say though, after everythin' that happened down here today, can't say that Jenova will be travelin' around in the open. She'll be more careful now. Hell, probably more dangerous, too."

Reno came barging back into the room, his phone in hand. "Well, well, well, you'll never guess who. It was Tseng. He, Elena and Reeve are at the entrance of the Forgotten City, alive and well. Apparently, the destruction didn't even effect that place one bit."

"Hm? I wonder why?" Tifa questioned.

"Reeve says he's got a theory that he'll fill us in on later."

Cid leaned back from the pilot control center to look at them. "So, where to, kiddos? The Forgotten City?"

Yuffie gave him a pat on the back, "Yes, you old geezer."

"Shut the hell up and sit the fuck down!" Cid shouted over the roar of the engine. "We're going full speed ahead. We'll be there in a few!"

The Highwind made its' way over towards the entrance of the Forgotten City. It was strange to see how the complete destruction of the continent truly transformed the northern region. Now, the City of the Ancients was its' own island out in the middle of the vast ocean, only connected to the surviving passages of the Sleeping Forest and the remaining fragments of the Bone Village. Everything else had been destroyed.

The Highwind landed just on the outskirts of the Forgotten City, as the team awaited on the deck. They looked down into the city's abandoned state. It was within this territory that the Cetra established their original home. Seashell houses and clam pathways marked the way through the lost city. It was a place of mystery and power, but also of sadness. It was here where Aerith had been killed and put to rest. As they approached, the memories of that day came back. No one could deny the sorrow that they felt in their hearts.

Cloud made his way off of the deck and back inside of the cockpit, before Tifa stopped him.

"Hey. Are you okay?"

"Yeah." Cloud sighed, his voice was a whisper. "I just really don't want to be here right now. You understand."

"I'm sorry, Cloud." Tifa placed her hand on his shoulder, a look of sympathy and understanding in her eyes. "Why don't you go back inside? We'll only be here for a few minutes. We'll be back on our way soon." Tifa flashed him a weak smile, straightening out her black hair.

"Thanks, Tifa."

Cloud made his way inside of the plane, making his way towards the Maintenance Bay. He didn't have anywhere to go in particular; he just wanted to avoid looking down into the city. The Forgotten City represented Aerith's death and all of the sadness and guilt that Cloud had felt. He did not want to look out into the city, to remember the heart-breaking events that happened that night. It tore his heart apart; it created an emptiness in chest, as all of the memories of that night came flashing back into his mind.

He tried to convince himself that he was better than he was before, that he was able to let go of his guilt from not protecting her. He knew that Aerith would always live on inside of his heart, she would be engraved there forever, but the overwhelming sadness and emotion that he felt when coming here, it was too much for him to bear. He felt himself begin to break, thinking of her smile, her laughter, her eyes, everything that made her stand out from everybody else.

'Aerith.'

Cloud felt a slight sting begin to form in his eyes, as he let out a small whimper. He tightly clutched his fist and shut his eyes.

'The sooner we leave the better.'

Back on the deck of the ship, Tseng, Elena and Reeve reconvened. Tifa, Reno, Yuffie, Rude and Vincent waited for them.

Reno shouted over to them, "Eh, so what the hell happened to you guys?"

"Us?" Elena countered, pointing back towards Reno and Rude. "What the hell happened to you!?"

"Well..." Reno started.

Yuffie cut him off. "We confronted Rufus, took down a ton of monsters, Rufus wanted to kill us, nuh-uh, not gonna happen, Vincent ticks him into using the materia, BOOM, he's dead." Yuffie shot a playful glare towards Vincent who was standing on the corner of the deck.

The three of them stared at her, as she managed to squeeze all of those details out at once. Yuffie stood there smiling at the three of them, as they all shared a skeptical look on their faces. "What? It's the truth! Pretty neat story, huh?"

Reno continued. "She's right. Our boss is done for. He activated the materia himself, caused so much destruction. This city and the Bone Village are all that's left of this continent."

"Seriously?" Reeve questioned. "How's Cloud and the others?"

"Everyone made it out ok." Tifa concluded. 'Barret and Clout got hurt, but nothing we can't fix. They're inside. Well, what about you guys? What happened down there?"

Tseng continued, "Well, we managed to evacuate people from Icicle Inn. We can only hope that they headed towards the Bone Village. That would have been their only chance of survival."

"We did come across many travelers saying that they were headed towards the village, so hopefully they made it out ok," Elena confirmed.

"The strangest thing happened." Reeve began to explain, looking at the others. "When we saw the destruction coming, we tried to take cover, but before it even reached the city, it's like a shield or something repelled the destruction away. Like...something was cast across the entire city."

"Yeah." Tifa continued, "Reno was telling us about it. What do you think it was?"

"The white materia." Reeve concluded, matter-of-factly. "It's still in the city. We've only ever seen one person use that materia and we know just how powerful it is."

"Right. It was strong enough to completely rebound the destruction." Reno stated, running a hand through his hair.

Tifa sighed, "I guess, there are just some things that even we can't explain. The Cetra still have power over that place, even if their only a part of the Lifestream now. They can do some pretty amazing things."

"Well, hey, they helped save our lives, so I'm grateful!" Elena let out with a laugh.

"Right. So, what about the Turks now? What are you guys gonna do now?" Reeve questioned.

"What do you mean 'you guys'?" Reno quickly countered, "You're a Turk, too, buddy!"

"Eh, after this last mission, I think I'm gonna get out of this business."

"Oh, come on, Reeve!" Reno tried to persuade him. "Rude, convince him."

"..." Rude straightened out his sunglasses.

Yuffie raised a hand to her forehead and shook her head. "Wow. How effective."

"What about you Vincent?" Reno turned to the dark-clad man.

"No." Vincent walked off the deck and headed back towards cockpit.

Reno let out a sigh and rolled his eyes. "Man, what do you have to do to get good help these days? Well anyways, we're now helping Cloud out with the fight against Jenova and as the rightful LEADER of the Turks, I say we lend out a hand."

"Right." Tifa playfully grinned at him. "So, what's your plan, Leader?"

"Well, we're gonna find Jenova, of course and put an end to all of this." Reno replied with a smirk.

"Sounds good to me! Let's go tell Cid!" Yuffie stormed back inside of the ship, followed by Tifa.

"Wait, Tifa." Tseng called out to her before she made her way inside. "Where's Cloud? I have to talk to him about something important." Tseng recalled their run-in with the military commander, who had informed them that he ran into a girl named Aerith. The name and description matched, but was it really her? How could it be? Was it just some coincidence? Either way, his curiosity got the better of him.

"He's inside. What's wrong?"

Tseng stood there for a moment and shook his head. "It's something that I think Cloud should know first."

Tifa stood there for a moment, staring the man in the eyes with concern. "Tseng, you're starting to scare me." She stopped the man and repeated, "What's wrong?"

"I...can't say for sure. Let me talk to Cloud. Then, we'll go from there." Tseng made his way past Tifa and entered into the Highwind, looking for the blonde-haired soldier, leaving Tifa behind, only wondering what could possibly be going on Tseng's head.

"Oh, he's talking about..." Elena began, but then stopped short when Reeve nodded his head.

Tifa turned back to them, surprised. "You two. You know what it is. Spill it!"

Reeve could only shake his head, "Sorry Tifa, Tseng's right. It really is something that Cloud should hear first." Reeve and Elena made their back inside.

Tifa crossed her arms and let out a sigh, "Fine. Whatever it is, it better be good."

"Hm. Pushy, aren't you?" Reno let out a laugh and placed a hand on Tifa's shoulder.

"Am not!" Tifa tried defending herself, but knew how her tone of voice spoke differently. "I'm just concerned..."

Reno smiled at her, wrapping his arms around her slender waist, closing the distance between the two. Tifa felt comfortable within his embrace and closed her eyes. "Come on inside. I'm sure we'll find out what's going on soon enough."

Tseng walked through the Maintenance Bay, searching for Cloud. 'If this rumor about Aerith is true, what would Cloud think? What would he do?'

The man was not entirely sure how to address this situation with Cloud. He knew that there would definitely be a strong reaction coming from the soldier, but he wasn't entirely sure what that reaction would be. 'Surprised, certainly. Excited? Nervous?' Tseng stopped himself when he found his thoughts getting ahead of himself. 'We don't even know if this is true or not.' Tseng let out a sigh when he saw Cloud in the Meeting Room. 'I guess we'll find out.'

He entered into the Meeting Room, as Cloud looked up to greet him. "Tseng."

"Hey Cloud. Everything alright?" He addressed the blonde-haired soldier, noticing that the man seemed a bit worn out.

"Yeah." Cloud reassured the man. "Just that battle really kicked my ass. I haven't fought like that in a while."

Tseng gave out a confirming nod, as he shut the door behind him.

Cloud looked up and tilted his head at the man's actions. Silence overtook the room, the only sound appeared to becoming from the running motors from within the ship. Cloud looked around for a moment. 'What's...'

"Um, Tseng...what's going on?"

Tseng breathed in, closing his eyes. "There's something I need to talk to you about."

'Oh, God.' Cloud hated hearing those words. He remembered when Tifa used to address him this way and every time, it came with a scolding of sorts. He could only wonder what he did wrong now and why Tseng would have any reason to be upset with him.

"Um, o-ok." Cloud spoke, but found the words difficult to say.

"Don't worry Cloud, it's nothing bad." Tseng walked the length of the wooden table in the center of the room, taking a few more steps closer to Cloud. "In fact, I don't even know if it's true."

"Ok. Then, it shouldn't be a big deal. What is it?"

Tseng let out a sigh. He had been wondering about this moment since he had met the commander. He soon came to realize that thinking about what would happen and actually addressing Cloud about the rumor were two entirely different things, as he felt his breath hitch, unable to find the right words.

"Well, let's...um...when Elena, Reeve and I were evacuating the northern continent, we ran into one of the commanders of the military army on his way to Icicle Inn. We got to talking and, well..."

Cloud was getting tired of the way Tseng was evading the topic he was trying to address. "Tseng, come on. What is it?"

Tseng let out another sigh, "Again, I don't know if this is true or not, it might just be some coincidence, but...he said that he came across a woman...named Aerith."

Cloud stood there for a moment, not able to say or do anything. It was almost as if Tseng's words did not hit him until moments later. He didn't know what to believe. He felt his heart rate increase, his heart almost feeling as though it was going to beat out of his chest. His eyes lowered, confused, as he tried to open his mouth to speak, but the words never came.

"Aerith. But...it's impossible. How?" Cloud wanted Tseng's words to be true, but also knew that if this was just indeed a rumor, he did not want to get his hopes up.

"I said the same thing when I spoke to him. It was probably just a coincidence, right?" Tseng stated, almost brushing off the entire topic, "Then, he started going into the description of her. Long, brown hair, green eyes. As a former member of the Turks, after spending all those years trying to catch her, that was the most basic description we had of her. I wasn't so sure it was just a coincidence anymore."

In that moment, Cloud knew, coincidence or not, he was going to find out. He felt lost, unable to make out the inner feelings that he had. "Did...he say anything else about her?"

"Just that she snuck onto his ship and disguised herself as one of the soldiers."

"What?" Cloud snapped forward.

"Um, did I say something wrong?"

"No, you don't understand." Cloud recalled the vision he had of Aerith. He noticed her emerald green eyes and her loose brown hair cascading down her back. He knew it was her instantly, but there was one glaring difference that he noticed when he saw her. The soldier uniform she was wearing.

"What's wrong, Cloud?"

"Ok. I know this sounds strange, but I just had a...vision, I guess, of Aerith and she was in a soldier uniform. She was actually able to touch my hand." Cloud's words begin to trail off. "It...felt so real. I've felt her presence before, but this was...different."

"The commander said that she escaped and headed in the direction of Corel. Though, I don't know why she'd have any reason to go there."

Cloud shook his head, "Still, there's a chance that this could be her. I want to find out, even if it just a rumor." The soldier turned back to Tseng, giving him a slap on the arm. "Thanks, Tseng." Cloud ran out of the room.

Tseng felt the corner of his lips twitch upwards. 'That went better than I pictured.' It was a welcome change to see Cloud this way. 'Let's hope that this rumor is true.' Tseng made his way towards the open door.

When Tseng made his way back up towards the cockpit, he saw that Cloud was already informing all of the others about the recent information that he receive about the possible re-appearance of Aerith. Everyone's reaction remained confused and uncertain.

"Come on guys, try to believe me here." Cloud tried to persuade them, but by the looks he was receiving, he knew that they remained unconvinced.

Tifa approached him, "Cloud, we want to believe you, but something like this, it just...it doesn't happen."

Tifa knew that her words might have hurt Cloud's beliefs, but she wanted to be realistic in all of this. She, too, did not want Cloud's feelings to get hurt if this rumor really was just a coincidence. None of them did.

"Spike, she got a point." Barret agreed with Tifa. "Death ain't supposed to be a temporary thing. We wanna believe you, but we gotta face reality."

Cloud turned to him, anger growing in his eyes. "Reality? That's what's stopping you from believing all of this? What, just because this sort of thing 'doesn't' happen, that means that it 'can't' happen?"

"Cloud's right!" Yuffie jumped forward. "Have you all forgotten the world we live in? We live in a place where magic and monsters and wonderful orbs called materia exist! Thinking about it that way, it's really not that much of a stretch."

"Right." Cloud agreed at the ninja's exuberance.

"Besides, Aerith's our friend, too! I'd be willing to fight against reality to see her again! You can count me in, Cloud!" Yuffie cheered.

Cloud turned to her and nodded. "Thanks, Yuffie." When he returned his stare to the other members of the cockpit, he felt disappointed. "Whether you want to or not, Yuffie and I are going. You can hang back here on the plane for all I care."

He shot glances as Tifa, Barret, Vincent and Cid, specifically, Reno and the Turks seemingly falling into the background.

Barret nodded, "Okay, Spike. I'll go."

"Me too." Tifa smiled.

Vincent simply nodded.

Tifa began, "Cloud, you have to understand. It's not that we don't believe you, we just don't want you to get hurt if it isn't true, either. We're just as uncertain about this as anyone else would be." She let out a sigh, "But if you think you'll find her, then we're going along, too."

"Okay, guys." Cid turned from the pilot's station. "Enough yappin', we're the hell are we goin'? Corel?"

"Yep, Cid." Cloud glanced at Cid. "That's where Tseng said that she was headed."

"Mhm. And let's not forget, Jenova was also "supposedly" spotted around Corel, too!" Yuffie chimed in. "Though, I doubt she'd be so hasty to act out now after everything that's happened at the crater...or lack thereof, as it may be now."

"Alright, let's get this show on the road!" Cid shouted, slamming his hand down onto the control panel. "We should be able to make it out to Corel just after midnight if we get this sucker movin' quick enough! I'll tell y'all when we're close to landin'! Make yerselves pre-occupied!"

Everyone split off throughout the Highwind, finding things to do to occupy the time it took to get to Corel. Cloud remained behind in the cockpit, along with Barret, informing Cid and Shera of everything that had happened down in the crater. Cloud remained persistent as ever, wanting Cid to get to Corel as quickly as possible, so that he could put his inhibitions and fears to rest. Whether it was Aerith or not, he needed to find out.

With every passing moment on the Highwind, Cloud felt his heartbeat growing faster, his anticipation rising with every second. Although he may have been just as unsure as everyone else was, something inside him knew that this was her. This had to be Aerith. Things aligned too perfectly to be just a coincidence.

It didn't take long for the questions to rush through his mind. 'If it's her, what would she do? What would she say? How is she back? Is she back for good? Is it even her?' Cloud caught himself getting ahead of himself, just as Tseng had done before. He had so many questions swimming through his mind, but now, he knew that he had to wait for them to be answered.

Vincent remained in the corner of the Maintenance Bay, keeping a good distance away from the Turks, who had commandeered the Meeting Room, talking amongst themselves about the new formation of the Turks. Now that Rufus was dead, they had the ability to completely remake their group and give them a new purpose. When Vincent overheard them starting to talk about ways the Turks could start doing good things around the cities, he could only let out a smirk. 'That'll be the day.'

It took him a second longer to realize that they were actually being serious.

Yuffie remained on the deck, looking down at the ocean waves which lapped far beneath the Highwind's forward motion. The wind whipped across the deck, enticing Yuffie to grip tightly onto the metal railing on the side of plane, almost as if the slightest wind would be able to blow her away. She loved the feeling.

The moment was soon interrupted when she saw Tifa and Reno come through the door leading onto the deck.

"Oh. Hi, Yuffie..." Reno stated, scratching the back of his head.

Yuffie glanced at them for a moment, squinting her eyes at them. "Hey guys. What are you doin' up here?"

"Just takin' in the sights, you know." Reno replied, somewhat sarcastically.

Yuffie rolled her eyes at Reno, who was already being led over to the opposite side of the deck by Tifa.

Tifa and Reno stopped at the railing, leaning down onto the cool metal bar, looking down into the ocean waves hundreds of feet below.

Far off in the distance, they saw small sparks explode off in the sky. The Gold Saucer must be nearby. Tifa remembered the fun and amazing atmosphere of the Gold Saucer. The fun and wild attractions, the arcades, the breath-taking light displays, the incredible shows and parades. It was a complete entertainment theme parks complex that boasted the latest and greatest rides and shows throughout the world. It must have been about three years since she had been there last.

"Well, it looks like Gold Saucer's still open for the night. Always have the best fireworks shows over there. We should go some time." Reno smiled, his words trailing on.

Tifa could only laugh at the man. "Well, you're a romantic at heart, aren't you?"

"Hey, hey! Watch it!" Reno pouted playfully, "I got a reputation I gotta live up to. The leader of the elite Turks is no easy position to get by being a romantic fool!"

Tifa let out a small laugh at the man's response. She saw him opening up to her more and more and she enjoyed it. She loved seeing the different layers of a man she once could not stand. These different layers kept on revealing themselves to her with each moment that they shared.

"What you guys talkin' about?" Yuffie walked over to the two of them, before Tifa and Reno quickly stepped a few feet away from one another.

Tifa turned back to her and shot her a small smile, a slight blush appearing on her face. "Oh, nothing." She let out a nervous laugh. "Yuffie, do you think that you could let Reno and I talk for just a moment?"

Yuffie tilted her head to the side and let out a small smile. "About what?"

"Just some small matters, nothin' too important." Tifa smiled, brushing by the ninja's question.

Yuffie began, with a hint of annoyance in her voice. "Well, technically, I was here first. You two crashed the party I was having up here by myself."

Tifa gave Yuffie a look that told her that they were being serious at the moment. "Yuffie."

Yuffie sighed and threw her hands down in frustration. "Ugh, fine! Kick me out then! I'll just have to buy my time doing something else..." Yuffie slowly marched her way off the deck, feeling annoyed about being kicked out. A thought clicked into her head a moment later.

'Messing around with the Turks and stealing some of their items would be an awesome way to kill time and lift my spirits! Which do I go after first? Rude's sunglasses or Elena's wart removal cream?' She made her way back into the plane with a snicker.

Tifa turned back to Reno a moment later, taking a step closer to him. "Sorry about that. Yuffie can kind of be a little annoying sometimes. She means well, though."

"Means well?" Reno raised his eyebrows at her. "A few hours ago she almost had us killed when she nearly activated that materia. Not to mention all the crap she put you through when she used to live at the Seventh Heaven."

"Well, yeah, she's not exactly someone I'd rely on to get things done." Tifa sighed, "She just takes a little getting used to."

"She takes a lot of getting used to." He leaned back down onto the railing, looking beyond the ocean waves.

Tifa continued, brushing the stray strands of hair from her face. She wanted to touch back on the topic at hand. "So, where were we? Right, the Gold Saucer."

Reno looked back at her and smiled. "Yep, we should go some time. It'll be my treat."

"Well, I DID help you out back at the Mythril Mines, so don't you owe me anyway?" She smiled, a small blush appearing across her face.

"Well, I DID save your life just a few hours ago." Reno quickly countered, "I think we're just about even now."

Tifa smiled and let out a sigh, "Fine."

"Buuuut..." Reno began, piquing the woman's curiosity, "we can still make a date out of it. If you'd want it to be a date. But then, of course, I'm Reno, what right-minded woman wouldn't want to date me?"

She couldn't help but let out a loud laugh. "Well, aren't you so sure of yourself?" She playfully punched the man in the shoulder.

Reno grinned back at her with a wide smile, rubbing his shoulder from where he had just punched her. "Ooh, how'd you know I liked it rough? Best to remember that for later on."

Tifa's mouth dropped open, her eyes wide. Reno let out a small laugh at her reaction. She was just about to raise her hand up to strike Reno again, but decided against it. She had enough of Reno's blatant suggestions for one night.

She could only shake her head and let out a smile. She leaned back on the railing. "You're trouble, you know that."

"Oh, yeah." He shook her head at the woman. "But just you wait til we go to the Gold Saucer. You'll see that I'm not all trouble! We'll have a good time."

She sighed, "When do you think we'd be able to go? I doubt Cloud and the others would be willing, especially now with Jenova around."

"Oh, don't you worry about them. Just leave it to me. I'll convince them! We're heading off to Corel anyway. I'm sure Strife won't mind taking a day off from tracking down Jenova."

Shw shook her head, "You'd be surprised."

"Well, then if that's the case, let's hope this 'Aerith' is actually the real one. Then maybe she'd be able to convince Cloud to sit his ass down somewhere and calm it for a bit."

Tifa smiled at him. "We can only hope."

"So, it's a date then. Once we get to Corel and take care of business down there, we'll try and convince them to head over to Gold Saucer. We'll head out, go on some rides, see the fireworks, nice candle-lit dinner." Reno stated with a coy smile.

"You know, you better watch out. That air of trouble you have is slipping." She took a step closer to him, playfully biting her lower lip as she let out a smile. "Wouldn't want the leader of the Turks to lose his job for being too much of a romantic."

"Well, I'd be a fool to pass up going on a date with you! Sure, the years of taunting and attacking another was getting pretty tiring, but come on, the chase is 100% of the fun, right!?"

Tifa stepped up to the red-headed man, bringing her hand to cup his cheek. She brought her lips to place a soft kiss on the man's other cheek before pulling back quickly, a small smile on her face. "Believe me, when you actually DO go on a date with me, you're going to adjust that percentage WAY down."

She shot him a flirtatious smile and a small wink, before turning around and heading back inside. Reno stood there for a moment, a wide grin spread across his face. "Score!"

* * *

Zack and Red sat at a wooden table in one of the small inn cottages. Just off the table was a small couch and a series of rugs that were scattered about the floor. The place was small and slightly unkempt, but the room would do just fine. In a place like Corel, it was best to set your expectations low. Small overhead lanterns flickered, illuminating the room. Even a common convenience such as electricity was lost amongst the people of Corel, who mostly used their own resources to supply the need for conveniences.

Through a small door at the back of the room, Aerith was lying in the comfort of the soft mattress. The blankets were loosely wrapped around her body, keeping her warm and cozy as she had slept. She breathed in and out, as she remained quietly still.

"You know, the room would have done just fine. You didn't have to swindle them for all that money, though." Red commented, watching Zack count the amount of money that the townspeople had given them.

"Hey, I told them to keep it for themselves. They need it here." He smiled, "Then again, it's not every day one of my friends almost gets put to death for accusations of murder. Some damages were due, I think. Besides, I'll split it evenly between us."

Red sighed and leapt onto the couch, making himself comfortable. He also had a long day and thought that catching up on some sleep wouldn't be too bad of an idea.

"So, from here, we'll head up to the Gold Saucer sometime tomorrow. Talk with that Dio guy. See if maybe he can get us up to the northern continent."

Red nodded. "It's pretty easy to get side-tracked at the Gold Saucer, let's try to remain focused tomorrow. We still have to help Aerith get that materia."

"We'll have to make sure that she is up and ready to go pretty early tomorrow then."

"I think she'll be fine by tomorrow morning. That attack took a lot out of her, but she's strong. She just needs her rest now."

"Hm. I think we all could use it." Zack made his way over towards the opposite side of the couch, sitting down beside the red wolverine. A moment later, Zack sighed, taking in the comfort of the couch. He closed his eyes for a moment, feeling the most relaxed that he had in some time.

Zack opened his eyes when he heard something. It sounded almost like a small vibration. He lifted his head up and looked over to Red, who's ears also sprang up. "You hear something?"

The wolf nodded, "Yeah."

They looked around for a moment longer. The vibration was growing louder and louder.

Zack got up and headed towards the door. "What is that?"

When they looked out of the door of the small inn, they saw a small formation appear down out of the sky, appearing through the clouds descending towards the village.

Red's eyes squinted as he made out the approaching form. "The Highwind." The plane made its' way down towards the village, seemingly landing just on the outskirts of the small town.

Zack turned back to Red." You know that thing?"

Red nodded, "That's my friend's plane. Cloud, myself and our friends made that plane into our home for some time."

"Cloud?" The soldier turned to him, excited. Red could sense the excitement in Zack's voice. "Do you think Cloud is on there now?"

"I can't say for sure. Likely, one of my friends is, though."

Zack smiled and let out a laugh, "Haha, imagine the look on his face when he sees me and Aerith!"

Red shook his head. "Are you sure that's the best idea? Isn't that what Aerith was worried about? How her coming back might affect everyone?" Red was sensitive about Aerith's feelings. He also wanted what was best for everyone and knew that her return would not come without some unexpected reactions.

"Yeah, true." Zack brought a hand to his chin. "But, she's out cold at the moment and if Cloud gets word that Aerith is here, believe me, he'll find her."

"I guess there's no more hiding then, is there?"

"Nope." Zack smiled. "Come on, let's go check it out!"

* * *

Cloud walked out of the Highwind and took a quick glimpse around the village, remembering the place just as he'd pictured it. He had his doubts as to what Aerith would ever be doing in a place like this, but even so, just the idea that she could be here was enough to make the trip.

He walked through the village for a few minutes. The wind was cool and brisk, sending a chill throughout the area. Even though it was on the outskirts of the desert, nights in Corel were chilly, while the days were blistering hot. Cloud shook the cold out of his mind, determined to get back to his mission.

Most of the members were too tired at this point to make it off of the ship and had already fallen asleep on the plane, not Cloud, though. He felt more awake than ever. 'Not too big of a town. If she really was here, it should be pretty easy to find her.' His head began to fill with doubt. It could all just be a misunderstanding. 'What if she's not here at all? What if this is all just some wild chase?' With each step Cloud felt his heart pumping as he hastily searched the cluttered village streets.

He walked a few more steps until he heard a familiar voice call out to him. "Cloud."

Cloud turned around and spotted Red approaching him, his flickering tail contrasted against the dark of the night, almost like a candle.

"Red..." Cloud turned to the wolverine. "It's good to see you. How have you been?" The blonde-haired soldier took a few more steps closer to the wolverine, scratching the back of his head as he did so. He looked around for a moment. "What are you doing here?" Cloud sounded surprised. He never would have guessed that he would have run into this companion in Corel, let alone the two others he would soon meet.

"Well, it's rather a long story actually."

Cloud nodded his head, content to listen to the wolverine.

"Hiya, Cloud!"

Cloud saw another shadow approach from behind Red. As he saw through the darkness of the night, he couldn't even begin to think that he would have ever encountered the person before him.

He opened his mouth for just a second, as if the person before him wasn't even real. "Z-Zack?" Cloud stood there, wide-eyed staring at his best friend. Cloud knew that Zack had died years ago. He was there, he witnessed it all happen. Though, now there he was, as alive as ever, like he never really died at all.

"Hey, buddy!" Zack ran up to Cloud and placed an arm out, grabbing Cloud's hand and shaking it, before pulling the younger man into a quick hug. He pulled away and watched as Cloud stood there for a moment. He couldn't help but smile at the absolutely mortified and confused look on Cloud's face. 'So, that's what Aerith meant when she said deal with this carefully. Guess it's too late for all that now.'

Cloud brought his hand up to the side of his head, rubbing it gently. This was all so much to take in at once. He felt his head rushing with questions. "What...what's happening? I don't understand." Cloud stuttered, his words sounding so fragile. "I...saw you...die. I was there. I could have done something to s-"

Zack sighed and patted him on the back, "Cloud, it's all in the past now. Let go of some things." He smiled and crossed his arms.

"I went back to the Lifestream for a while. Though, before meeting Red here, I was able to come back with some help from the Cetra. Stuff like this usually doesn't happen...ever. It's not like everyone can just come back, but they were willing to make an exception when we said that we'd help fight Jenova."

"The Cetra...Wait, Jenova?! You're fighting Jenova, too?" This was still all so much for Cloud to take in, but he was slowly beginning to understand. Seeing Zack alive in the real world, it was unusual and strange for Cloud to comprehend or even seem believable just yet.

"So...you come back to put your life on the line again?" He smiled at the mixture of Zack's carelessness and courage. He ran a gloved hand through his spiky, golden locks. "I suppose you two wouldn't want to join us?"

"Sure we would, Cloud!" Zack smiled cheerfully at his friend. "Don't think we were gonna come back and not offer you a hand! Sure, you got your friends, but don't think that we are gonna let you forget about us, either!"

"I don't think that's possible." Cloud smiled.

Zack really was a good friend. Years ago, when the two were out doing missions together, Cloud saw Zack as being a good friend, the best one that he had ever had and really, at that point, the only one, as well. Cloud saw Zack as being a strong hero, someone to aspire to be. "Thanks, Zack."

"Besides, I'm not the only one here that'd want to help you out." Zack playfully nudged Red.

Red howled and scolded the man, "Zack, remember what she said. Deal with things carefully!" Red turned back around and started making their way back towards the small in.

Red's words caught Cloud's curiosity, as he shot a quick glance towards Zack. Was it true, was Aerith really here? "Who?"

Zack turned back to Cloud and smiled, "Who do you think?"

"She's...here." Cloud felt his breath hitch, his lips becoming dry, his head dizzying. "She's...really here?"

Zack nodded and patted his friend on the shoulder. "How did you guys find us out here anyway?"

"Well, it's a long story." Cloud sighed, closing his eyes. "One of my friends said that he came across a military commander that ran into Aerith on his ship? Is that true?"

"Oh, yeah! That guy! She socked him in the face."

It was starting to feel real to Cloud. She was here in this village and within moments, he would find her.

He began to walk down the street, motioning Cloud to follow him. "Come on, Cloud. Follow me!"

Zack led Cloud back to the small inn, stepping into the room, leading Cloud in along with him. Cloud felt his heart racing, as Zack pointed into the small, dark room off of the corner of the central room. Cloud glanced back at Zack for a moment, who motioned him to go into the room.

Cloud nodded and turned back, staring into the darkness of the room. Was this actually happening? He had always imagined what it would be like for Aerith to be back on the planet, but never actually thought that it would happen. The sounds of his footprints were drowned out by the beating of his heart, which seemed to echo throughout his body. It felt as though his heart would beat out of his chest at any moment.

He reached over towards the wooden door and closed his eyes for a brief moment. He quietly pushed open the door, allowing the flickering lanterns from the other room to only offer a minimal amount of light, casting hazy shadows across the room. When he opened his eyes and looked up, he saw her there.

She was resting her head against the pillow, the soft, delicate features of her face directed towards him. Her hair laid loose across the pillows, cascading down the bed sheets, which were loosely draped around her body. Her eyes were closed, a peaceful expression across her face. Her lips twitched upwards, a small smile across her face. The dim lighting from the previous room had cast shadows along the walls, defining and contouring the two figures in the room.

Cloud quietly approached the bed, feeling the tips of his fingers shaking, his mouth becoming dry, is eyes beginning to water. She looked so beautiful and peaceful lying there. For a brief moment, Cloud thought back to the last time he had seen her like this, the night when she had been put to rest. A chord of grief and sorrow struck his heart, but he quickly pushed it away. She was here now. 'I won't let that happen again.'

There was still a lot that he did not understand about all of this, but knew that he would soon find out come the morning.

Cloud raised his hand up, trying his best to keep calm. He gently traced his finger over her soft cheek, smiling as he did so. It was as if that was the moment he realized just how real she was. His smile only grew when Aerith raised her eyebrows from the slight touch and murmured something under her breath a second later. He traced his hand up to her hair, to tuck away a few strands of hair behind her ear. She was beautiful.

Cloud leaned back and took all of her presence in. For the past couple of years, he thought about what he needed to be happy. This, her, this is what he pictured. Even when he could spiritually feel her presence, a piece of him still felt lost amongst the world, no one knowing or understanding how he had felt. He had spent nights lost amongst the darkness of her church, days wallowing in pain and suffering and within a single instant of being with her, he was healed. He felt as though a piece of him was lost for many years and now, it was finally back.

He let out another smile and brought his hand down to rest with hers. He knelt down at the side of the bed, as his dark-blue eyes stared over Aerith's figure, intently. 'I was searching for you...'

Her presence made him feel lighter, something that only she could do. He still couldn't believe that she was actually here, right there with him. If this was some twisted dream, he hoped that he would never wake up. It was something he had dreamed of before and now, it was more real than anything. He had so many questions, so many thoughts swimming through his head, but he knew, they would have to wait until the morning. This moment, them, her, it was enough for right now.

"I found you."


	11. Interrupted by Fireworks

**Chapter Eleven - Interrupted By Fireworks**

Aerith let out a groan, as the bright sunlight passed through the window shades, grazing her face. 'Mmm...morning already...'

Her eyes were still shut. Her body wasn't willing to get up just yet. The comfort of the pillow and the blankets were too much for her. Her muscles felt sore, but in that moment, she didn't care. She was far too comfortable.

'Just a little while longer...' She rested there for a few passing minutes.

When she did open her eyes, she saw herself facing the wall that was on one of the sides of the bed. She realized that she didn't recognize the place, nor did she know how she got into the bed in the first place.

When the thought hit her, she remembered the events that led up to her deep slumber. 'Red! Zack!'

The last thing she could remember was of that monster attacking and then everything else drew a blank. Her eyes went wide at the thought of what might have happened to them after she passed out. She turned on her other side, facing the room, hoping to see that Zack and Red were maybe sleeping across the room elsewhere. Though, the two were not there, the person that she did see was the last person that she would expect.

Her emerald green eyes stared into a set of blue ones that seemed endless, beautiful and strong. It took her a moment longer for her to realize whom the set of eyes belonged to when she saw the spiky head of blonde hair.

"Cloud..." She whispered his name, almost not believing that it could actually be him.

In an instant, she felt her heart race. She had always wondered what this moment would be like, but now that it was actually happening and she didn't expect it, she felt herself still, nerves overtaking her.

Cloud leaned forward in the small wooden chair he was sitting in, as the corners of his lips slightly twitched upwards.

"Hey."

When Aerith turned to him, he knew then that all of this wasn't some dream. She was actually here, alive. Cloud felt as though a piece of him that was broken was starting to mend and heal.

Seeing Cloud leaning above her, it was almost too much for her to handle. For a moment, she almost felt like this was a dream or perhaps she wasn't even alive, but it couldn't be. This all felt too real to be a dream.

She sat up in the bed, feeling slightly embarrassed. 'How long was he here?'

She pushed her loose hair over her shoulder, as it cascaded down her back. Some strands of hair were loosely tied into a small braid in the back. She tried her best to straighten out her hair before tossing Cloud a small smile.

She felt her cheeks redden only slightly, as she looked down towards the wooden floor of the small room. "You...you found me."

Cloud smiled slightly, before returning a small nod. "I was looking for you."

"I'm so happy to see you." Aerith leaned forward, wrapping her arms around Cloud's waist in a quick embrace.

The embrace took Cloud by surprise, which she knew by the way she felt him suddenly tense up. She smiled into the fabric of her shirt, taking in the moment of the embrace, his scent, the warmth from his body. "It's good to see you again." The embrace made her feel so warm, so protected, as if absolutely nothing in this world would be able to harm her.

She slowly pulled away, a small smile across her lips. She knew just how much she had missed him.

She sat up, crossing her legs over the bed sheets. "How did you find me?"

"We heard the news from a military commander in the army. He said you punched him. Does that sound familiar?" Cloud stated with a small smile, a sense of mock accusation in his voice.

She reeled back slightly, a serious look falling across her face. She averted her gaze, before a small grin appeared across her face. "Maybe."

Cloud tossed her a small smile. "Though, that's not the important matter here. You're...back?"

She gave off a fake look of sadness and disappointment, her eyes lowering, as she pouted playfully. "You don't want to see me?"

"No! Yes, I do! No! Wait." Cloud brought both of his hands up to his face, as he covered his eyes, embarrassed and confused. He let out a sigh. 'Why does she do this to me? All the time."

Aerith playfully laughed, bringing up her hands to gently pull Cloud's hands away from his face. "Cloud."

She placed one of his fingers under his chin, lifting it slightly in an attempt to get him to look at her. When his eyes finally met hers again, she gave him a small grin. "It's alright. I know what you mean."

She let out a sigh, not exactly sure where to begin with her story, what to say and what not to say. 'Should I start with explaining my purpose of defeating Jenova and the possibility of me dying again, or should I try and work that into the conversation somehow?'

She glanced up from the bed sheets, averting her gaze from Cloud, as she thought about it more. She saw how happy he was in she awoke, as subtle as it may have been. How could she possibly tell him now? It was the exact fear that she first had when she came back; the fear of Cloud finding out about her fate and the effects it would have on him.

Aerith decided against it at the moment. She would tell him, but when she felt that he was ready to hear it.

"Well, the Cetra of the Lifestream were able to send me back, which is unheard of. It comes with a price, though." She sighed, carefully trying to phrase her words. "In order to come back, I had to promise to help put a stop to Jenova. I have to get the White Materia back. It's the only means I have to stop her."

Cloud hated the sound of all of this and by the expression he saw on Aerith's face, he knew that she could sense his feelings.

He closed his eyes and shook his head. "Aerith. Why would you put yourself in that position again?"

He almost sounded angry, as if her purpose for coming back hurt him. His words seemed to clutch around her heart.

She was slightly taken aback and remained quiet, averting her gaze from him. Though, he did have a point. Why would she come back again just to stop a creature that already killed her once? In her mind, the answer was simple. 'I came back because I wanted to see you.' She knew better than to say it out loud.

She sighed and looked back up into his eyes. "I wanted to help you fight Jenova, Cloud. If I was the only one that would be able to use this materia to stop her, I wasn't going to watch my friends fight this battle only to lose."

Cloud shook his head and let out a sigh. "Aerith, I don't want you involved in all of this again. This world isn't any less dangerous than it was before."

"There you go again. That lines really starting to get old!" She smiled at him and placed his hand on his shoulder. "I'm a strong woman, Cloud. I can take care of myself."

He smiled slightly and shook his head. "I know that you can. I just...couldn't handle anything happening to you again." He lowered his eyes to the floor, a crimson shade appearing across his face, as he ran a gloved hand through his golden locks. "I'm your bodyguard, remember?"

There it was. She admired that this role meant so much to Cloud. Throughout their journey together, she saw how Cloud's actions showed how much he had cared about her and how seriously he took this job. Though, she also hated how Cloud would beat himself up over not being able to save her, his sense of guilt and sadness becoming too much for the both of them to bear.

"Cloud, I know, but you can't continue to beat yourself up on things that have happened in the past."

"I know that, Aerith," Cloud said, sternly. "That's why I don't want you involved with any of this now. You already left m-...us once. I could have done something to save you before. What if I'm not there again?"

"Cloud, stop."

"You were right there and I let-"

"Cloud, shh." She placed her finger over Cloud's lips before he could finish the sentence. "I never blamed you for what happened. You came for me, you found me, that's all I could have asked for." She removed her finger from his lips.

Cloud sighed, a sorrowful glint appearing in his dark blue eyes. "That didn't take away from all of the pain and guilt I had felt, though."

"I know. I know, Cloud." She took his hands within her own, holding them lightly. She rubbed his hand with her thumb. "But you don't have to worry, I was right there all along." She brought up one of her hands and placed it on his chest, over his heart. "Here."

Cloud watched as she placed her hand on his chest, his nerves rising, feeling his heart beat faster. Aerith gave him a small smile, feeling his pulse in her hand. She couldn't help but take in how handsome he looked in that moment, their eyes connecting with one another for a brief moment before splitting away.

"That's how I was always able to see and hear you, right? You were with me. Here."

"Mhm. Back when you were fighting your Geostigma, it was harder to reach you then. Your guilt and sadness drowned my words out from the Lifestream. I remember shouting at the top of my lungs one day to tell you to stop being so sad!" Aerith giggled. "When I told you to let go of your guilt, you listened. I was finally able to break through and talk with you clearly."

"Like in the flower fields. The Promised Land, right?"

Aerith smiled, raising up a finger to play with one of her loose strands of hair. "Right. My Promised Land. We were able to talk and see each other there, but really, we could have been anywhere." She pressed her hand firmly over his heart. "Because I was here."

"You're right. It felt as if you never really left at all."

Cloud smiled, leaning forward, wrapping his arms around the flower girl's slender waist, who returned his embrace. She felt so safe within his strong arms, as she placed her head down his shoulder, closing her eyes, enjoying this moment. She promised to never leave. A sad expression fell across her face, knowing that her promise was not entirely true. She was still keeping the full details of her return to herself. She'd tell him soon. 'Just not now.'

As he pulled away, he saw a smile spread across her face, as she tucked a strand of her loose hair behind her ear. He loved seeing her hair down like it was at the moment. 'She looks beautiful.' Hell, he thought she looked beautiful all the time, even when she was just waking up in the morning and was wearing a soldier uniform. It didn't matter to him, she was here and everything was suddenly better.

Aerith noticed the wound on Cloud's shoulder then. "What happened to you?"

"Oh, gunshot wound. Rufus." He replied with a small smirk.

Her eyes widened, "You were shot?"

"Yeah, don't worry about it, though. He's dead now. I'll explain later."

She raised an eyebrow to him, before lifting her hand to his shoulder. "Here, let me help you."

"No, it's alright. You don't have to. Besides, you were knocked out cold yesterday. You should save your energy."

She looked at him, a stubborn, determined glint in her eyes. "Cloud, please let me do this for you."

He knew there was no fighting her. He sighed, adjusting his vest, pushing it up to give her a little more access to his shoulder.

She smiled as he did so, gently placing her hand down onto Cloud's shoulder, as he let out a small wince, closing his eyes. She looked at him with concern. "Sorry. I'll try to be more careful."

He smiled through the pain. "Sorry? You've already done too much for me as it is." He laughed softy. Even through the pain that pierced his shoulder, he could feel the softness of Aerith's hand.

She shook her head. "I don't mind." Soon, a soft warmth began to emit beneath her palm. A sparkling, green mist appeared around her hand, as a cooling sensation ran through Cloud's body.

For a brief moment, Aerith's eyes met with Cloud's, who stared into her beautiful emerald eyes. She had the urge to avert her gaze, but found that she was not able to do so. His focus was on her, so intently staring at her. Neither one of them dared to break their gaze for a moment. It was a strong bond, a connection that tied them to one another, both unwilling to part for a moment. They remained there, even after the sparkling mist had faded. She hoped that Cloud was not able to see the blush that had formed on her face. Reluctantly, she removed her hand from his shoulder.

"There. Good as new."

He examined his shoulder, admiring her powers, before smiling towards her. "Not even a mark. Thanks."

"You're very welcome, Mr. Strife."

Cloud adjusted his vest as he looked Aerith up and down. "So, what's all this about?" He questioned, pointing towards her soldier uniform. Her hair was unkempt and Cloud could never have pictured her wearing something like this, but he thought that she still looked good, regardless.

"Oh! I sort of used it as a disguise, though it didn't last very long." She let out a laugh. "I guess I never got around to taking it off."

He smiled at her, "Well, it looks good on you."

"I'm sure, Cloud." She rolled her eyes at him. "I can't wait to take this thing off, though. Now I know how you and Zack must have felt!"

"Oh, yeah! Zack and Red are in the next room over. I'm assuming you already knew that, though."

She nodded, "Mhm. Only a few days back and things have already gotten pretty...hectic. Did you find out about everything that happened with Red?"

"Yeah, it sounds like you guys are already hitting some hard times."

Aerith smiled, lifting herself off of the mattress. "Yeah, but we're managing to get through. I don't know, traveling alongside a species like Nanaki and your ex-boyfriend, it's bound to give way to a few interesting stories." She covered her mouth, letting out a small giggle. She then noticed the look on Cloud's face.

By the mention of the previous relationship between Aerith and Zack, Cloud felt jealousy rise within him. After spending time together in the Lifestream and adventuring alongside one another so far, he assumed that they grew closer to one another. He closed his eyes and averted his gaze. Did he even have a right to be jealous about this? "Well, that's good I guess."

Aerith watched Cloud's expression and knew that something went wrong from that moment. 'Is it Zack? Is he jealous?' She recognized the displays of jealousy that she had seen from Cloud before. She decided that she would try her best to fix it. "Well, thankfully I found you. If I had to be stuck with Zack pestering me for a couple more days, I might have had to punch him, too! Maybe you can keep me sane for a little longer?"

Cloud smiled at her, "Isn't that supposed to be your job with me?"

She shrugged, before letting out a yawn. "We can split it both ways."

The two walked over into the next room, where Zack and Red were seen waiting for them.

Zack shouted cheerfully, "Hey sleepyh- whoa, you've looked better before, Aerith."

She turned back to him, "Oh, shut up, Zack!"

"How'd you sleep, Cloud? That must have been pretty damn uncomfortable."

Aerith turned to Cloud. "You slept there last night?" She knew that he must have had the most uncomfortable night of sleep. She felt bad, but it was actually Cloud who wanted to stay by her side the night before. "Maybe you should rest up a little?"

"Nope, I'll be fine." He gave her a quick smile. "Besides, I'll have to get going soon. There's no chance that you all wouldn't want to come? We all want to defeat Jenova, right? We'd definitely have a better chance if we all worked together on this." Cloud did feel that with everyone together, they would be better off, but his real hope was that Aerith would come along with him. He didn't come this far for nothing.

"You know, Cloud's got a point." Red stated, "We'd be able to get to the northern continent with the Highwind."

"Yeah, about that." Cloud stated, catching their attention. "It's sort of...gone."

"Huh?" Zack stated, not believing Cloud's words.

"Well, most of it anyway. I'll tell you once we get onto the Highwind and catch back up with everyone."

"The Highwind?" Aerith stepped forward looking at Cloud.

"Yeah, it's just outside of the village. I was hoping...I'd finally be able to give you that trip that you asked for. You said that you wanted to go someday, right?"

If Aerith wasn't convinced to go with him before, she was now. She'd deal with all of her inhibitions and fears later, but now, she might as well enjoy the experience of being back in the world.

"Everyone's there?" Red questioned.

Cloud nodded, "Yeah. Tifa, Barret, Cid, the Turks. Everyone. We're all putting in the effort to help fight Jenova."

"Well, hope you got room for three more. Things already sound pretty cramped!"

"Don't worry, we'll find space."

Zack nodded, "Good to hear. Come on then, let's get going." Zack made his way out of the door, followed by Red and Cloud.

Cloud turned back to Aerith, whom was looking down towards the ground. "Hey. You ok?"

She looked back up at him, a small smile appearing on her face. "Yeah, I'm just a little nervous to see everyone again, I guess."

"You? Nervous? Come on, were you nervous to see me?"

'Absolutely.' "N-no, of course not."

He sighed, "You know that they'll all be excited to see you." He led her out of the inn.

They made their way towards the outskirts of the small town, as Aerith approached the looming plane before her. The sight of it took her breath away. She had always wanted to take a flight on it, but she never thought it would happen, especially not on her first day seeing Cloud again.

As she approached the plane, her excitement raced. Cloud shot her a quick glance out of the corner of his eye, admiring the absolutely stunned expression on her face. Her hand clutched to her chest. "It's...a lot larger than I remembered it to be."

Cloud looked over to her. "Maybe the world's just gotten a lot smaller."

Aerith's smile grew bigger, taking steps closer to the large plane. It wasn't until a small voice called out from the deck that her focus was pulled.

"AERITTTHHHHH!" Yuffie shouted out from the deck.

"YUFFFIIEEEEE!" Aerith raced towards the Highwind now. She felt exhilarated. She ran towards the metal ramp leading up towards the side of the Highwind.

Zack leaned over to Cloud, "I guess there's no stopping her now, huh?" He let out a laugh as they continued to watch the woman run her way onto the deck of the ship.

When Aerith arrived onto the deck of the ship, she threw her arms around Yuffie, squeezing her tightly. Yuffie let out a gasp, so excited to see her friend. Yuffie had always seen Aerith as a big sister and was ecstatic to see her again. "It's so good to see you!" The young ninja squeezed the flower girl tightly.

"Aerith?"

The flower girl spun around to see Tifa standing there, Reno at her side.

"Damn, the rumors are true. I guess we should always trust Strife." Reno stated.

"Tifa!" Aerith approached Tifa, wrapping her arms around the younger woman, laughter filling her over the excitement of seeing her old friend. When they pulled away, Aerith saw a small tear out of the corner of Tifa's eye. She brushed away Tifa's tear, before straightening out the barmaid's hair. Aerith and Tifa let out a laugh, hugging one another again.

Cloud, Zack and Red arrived on the deck, too.

"What? Red's here, too!?" Yuffie cheered. "What's happening!? Aww, yeah!"

Tifa looked over her shoulder. "Zack!" Tifa ran over to Zack and gave him a quick hug, remembering him from all of the events that happened years before in Nibelheim. "How is any of this possible?" Tifa laughed, too excited at the reunion of all of their friends. "We're actually all together again."

"You know him?" Reno raised his eyebrow. "Well damn, isn't this just a long overdue reunion?"

"Save some for me!" Barret came barging out of the Highwind, charging towards Aerith, scooping her off of her feet and into her arms, squeezing her tightly. "How you doin', beautiful?"

"It's so good to see all of you!" Aerith cheered, excited to be reunited with all of her old friends. She missed this, all of them here. It was like this group had become the closest group of people in her life. They weren't so much friends, but rather, family.

"Come on, everyone else is inside! Let's go!"

They led the three newcomers into the cockpit, where the rest of the members greeted them.

"Damn, Aerith! How the fuck you doin', girl?" Cid could barely believe his eyes.

"Doing better than ever Cid." Aerith walked up to the pilot, giving him a tight hug. "And look at you, Shera! You look fantastic." She smiled at Shera's pregnant figure.

Aerith placed her hand on Shera's stomach. "Oh, we're due any day now. The baby will be here soon enough. It's definitely keeping Cid on edge," Shera said with a laugh.

Vincent, off in the corner of the cockpit, gave her a small nod. Aerith could even swear that she might have seen the smallest upward twitch on Vincent's lips. She could not say for sure. If that smile really was there, it was gone in an instant. Though, she knew that even Vincent was happy that she was back.

In the cockpit, they had caught up with everything that had happened recently, including the destruction of the northern crater, Rufus' death, Red's sentenced execution, the topic of Jenova and most importantly, the return of Aerith and Zack. Everyone had many questions and Aerith did her best to explain the events of her return, but of course, left out one glaring detail from everyone: her possible fate.

Everyone back together again.

"So, you're fightin' Jenova along with all of us, too?" Barret chimed in.

The flower girl nodded, "Yeah. I have to go off to the Forgotten City. That's all that's left of the northern continent, right? There, I can find the White Materia and use some of the secrets that the Cetra left behind to put a stop to Jenova. Hopefully, this will be the last time we fight her!"

"The Forgotten City, huh?" Yuffie questioned. "Well, don't worry, Aer! We're not gonna let you do that..."

"But Yuffie, I have to go. It's possibly our only chance at stopping Jenova."

"Nuh-uh, you didn't let me finish!" Yuffie ran over to her. "We're not gonna let you do that alone!"

Cid turned around from the control center, "She's right, Aerith! We got your back on this. You been there for us tons of times. Let us help you out now!"

Aerith looked around at all of them. "Thank you, everyone. All of you, you're all wonderful friends."

Tifa walked over to her and placed her arm on her shoulder. "Well, so are you."

"So, do we have any reason to rush back to the northern continent immediately?" Yuffie brought up the topic. They had just witnessed the destruction of that entire piece of land. Maybe it would be best to stay clear just for a little while?

"She's got a point." Barret agreed, "Not so sure we should rush back there so fast, right? Aerith, we gonna help you out, but is it all right if we just steer clear of that area for a little bit?"

She shook her head, "No, it's fine! I understand. I'd probably make it to the northern continent faster traveling on this thing than I ever could have done walking like before."

"So, what do we do to kill time for a couple days?" Tifa looked over at Reno, a look of mock curiosity on her face.

'Nice one, Tifa. You're no actress. She must really want to go on that date. Heh, just leave it to me.'

Reno stepped forward, "Hey guys, I know! We could kill time by going to Gold Saucer! Like, come on! It's awesome, they've got awesome attractions."

"And parades!" Tifa chimed in.

"And fireworks!" Reno continued.

"And arcades!" Tifa shouted.

"And I'm gonna kill y'all if you don't shut the fuck up!" Cid shouted over them. A few of the members of the party laughed from Cid's rage.

Reno leaned in closer to Tifa, whispering in her ear. "And we got a date to go on." Tifa giggled at the red-headed man. Words that were supposed to be heard by only Tifa ended up reaching Aerith's ears, as well.

Aerith, who was standing just on the opposite side of Tifa, turned to the raven-haired girl, her eyes slightly widened, as she mouthed a 'Reno? You're going out with Reno!?' to Tifa, a look of amusement on her face. Tifa looked around for a moment before quickly nodding her head, laughing into the Cetra's shoulder.

"So, whaddya say, Cloud? You good at spending a few days at the Gold Saucer?" Cid turned back, "Please give me an answer before those two cause my death."

"We're all rooting for you, old man." Yuffie stated, under her breath.

"Well, is it alright with you, Aerith?" Cloud turned to the flower girl, who was standing across from him. " I don't want to make you wait on any-"

"Cloud, it's fine." Aerith shook her head. "Really, after everything that's happened up north recently, it's probably best that we stay clear just for a little while longer. Besides, I think all of us could probably use a small vacation, right?"

"Yeah! We'll have tons of fun!" Yuffie cheered, "We'll be celebrating the reunion of all of us together again!"

"Alrighty then, next stop: Gold Saucer!" Cid shouted. "We'll be there soon!"

The members separated off into different directions, each finding their own thing to do to bide their time.

Cloud followed Reno and Tifa down towards the Maintenance Bay.

Reno leaned over to Tifa and placed an arm around her waist. "See? I told ya we'd get them! We'll have a good time tonight."

"Can't wait."

Cloud walked through the Maintenance Bay, spotting Yuffie and Zack in the corner of the Bay. The two were talking amongst themselves. 'Ooh, bad move Zack.' Cloud knew at that point that he would probably have to clue Zack in on Yuffie's adept skills of theft and that she was probably in the process of stealing something from him at the moment. Cloud shook his head an continued to walk through the plane.

'Where is she?' He glanced around the plane's several rooms looking for Aerith.

After the group parted from the cockpit, she had left the room so quickly that he didn't have time to notice where she had headed. He felt the rumble of the plane's engine began to shake and sputter. He knew that they'd be taking off soon and that they'd reach the Gold Saucer shortly after.

Cloud looked up towards the metal stairs that led towards the deck. 'Only once more place to look.' He made his way up the stairs and arrived on the deck and she stood there, her hands grasping onto the railing, as she leaned over the deck's edge.

When she felt another presence, she turned around and saw him there, a smile spread across her face. She motioned him to come join her, as he did so, stepping up to the railing.

He looked over at her from the corner of his eye, "You ready?"

She shook her head, her eyes sparkling. She felt like a child, waiting for the best present a person could ask for. "Yeah, I've been waiting for this." She felt her anticipation rise when the plane suddenly moved. A wide grin spread across her face, as the Highwind began to move.

"You better hold on. If you're not used to this kind of thing, it can really catch you off guard."

As the Highwind began to speed forward, the sudden jolt into the air caused Aerith to slightly lose her balance, as she gripped onto the railing. Cloud caught her shoulders, making sure that she would not lose her balance. He firmly held here there for a moment, before releasing her. She turned back to him. "Thanks."

Cloud removed one of his hands from her shoulder and pointed down towards the earth. "Look."

Aerith looked down, watching as the world below the Highwind grew smaller and smaller. She watched as the small village of Corel shrunk down, the wind whipping through the deck, blowing Aerith's hair behind her back. She stood there and smiled, feeling exhilarated. It was just as she always imagined it to be. "Wow." From the deck of the plane, she could see beyond the vast desert surrounding the continent, towards the oceans on the far side of Costa del Sol. It was a beautifully, breath-taking sight, one that she would never forget.

She turned to Cloud, "You know, as a kid growing up in the slums, I never had the chance to see the sky before. I thought the sky was scary as a young girl. I used to think the outside world was terrifying. I felt like stepping outside of Midgar was like stepping into a completely different world and for the most part, it was."

Cloud nodded, knowing that she had spent most of her life trapped within the walls of Midgar.

"Though, it's strange. I feel like I see the world entirely different now. I feel like seeing the world changed my view completely. I love the world I see now. I never said 'thank you', Cloud."

"For what?"

"For letting me come along and explore the world, even though you tried to convince me how dangerous it would be."

Cloud thought to himself, 'That's because I couldn't bring myself to say goodbye.'

"You were really the cause of what led me to see the outside world. When we met again at the church, that's when everything changed." She turned around and playfully poked him in the chest. "One day, I'm a simple flower girl, then the next; I'm off on a mission to save the planet."

Cloud nodded, leaning over the railing, watching as Aerith did the same. He quietly enjoyed the moment, watching Aerith in awe at the sights before her. She felt like she was soaring through the air, rather like she was actually a part of the clouds in the sky.

"Hey, you two!" A voice shouted out behind them.

The two looked behind them to see Yuffie approaching.

Aerith turned around to greet her, "Yuffie. What's up?"

"Oh, nothing much. Was just talking with Zack earlier. He's a pretty cool guy. He's like a cooler version of you, Cloud." Yuffie stated.

"Thanks, Yuffie." Cloud replied, coolly.

"Just kidding! Not really, though." Yuffie laughed, "Anyway, he wanted me to give this to you." She handed her over a wad of gil. "It was from that whole Red's-Gonna-Get-Killed thing over at Corel. The villagers apparently gave the three of you some pretty hefty sums of gil."

"And he actually trusted you to hand it over?" Cloud sighed, shaking his head. "He really doesn't know you at all. I'll have to teach him a few things."

"Well, I handed it over, didn't I!?" She turned back to Aerith, "Now, don't spend too much of it Aerith. Tifa and I are going to take you out once we get to Gold Saucer. We'll go get some food, do some shopping, pilfer items and attack random strangers, you know, girl stuff." She winked at her. "And no boys allowed, so that means you!" She pointed at Cloud.

"Trust me; I think I'll find better things to." He thought the idea of shopping for hours and gossiping and getting manicures and pedicures would probably be more troublesome for him than fighting Jenova all over again.

"Well, just letting you know what's in store for you when we get there!" Yuffie marched off.

Aerith turned back to Cloud and sighed, "So, we should be there pretty soon, huh?"

"Yeah, Gold Saucer and Corel are pretty close. We could have probably taken the tram rail to Gold Saucer, but it makes it a lot easier for Cid to land the Highwind just in the lot outside of the place. We should be there shortly."

She smiled, "I can't wait. I think we could all use some time for ourselves, even if it's just for a little bit." She turned to him, a wide smile stretched across her face. "Promise me, that you'll at least try and have some fun. I won't let you leave that place until you go on at least one ride with me!"

Cloud raised an eyebrow at the flower girl, who only laughed at his response. He couldn't reject her offer. He actually looked forward to spending time with her, even if they were going to be waiting in over-crowded lines amidst the masses of people. He gave her a small smile. "Alright, I will."

The Highwind continued to set sail forwards, leading towards the Gold Saucer. Cloud and Aerith remained on the deck, watching below them, as they continued to sail through the sky.

* * *

When the members of the team stepped through the doors of the Gold Saucer, everyone was blown away. The Gold Saucer''s cheery music filled the air, as colorful, flashy lights aligned the way to the entrance. Confetti fell from the sky as the party entered, a group of characters waving at the party from inside of the entrance of the Gold Saucer.

Yuffie cheered, "It's Mongo, the Moogle! Oh, he's my favorite! Where'd I put my camera?"

Aerith laughed, walking up next to the excited ninja. It had been a while since any of them had come to the amusement park and things had certainly changed. The place seemed more vibrant, livelier. From a bulletin board that they had passed at the entrance of the Gold Saucer, they saw that the complex had spent the last couple of years forgoing a multi-million gil refurbishment throughout the entire park, opening new attractions, shops and restaurants. It was a complete expansion of the Gold Saucer Resort.

Tifa leaned in closer to Cloud and Barret and whispered, "Don't tell Marlene or Denzel that we came here. They've wanted to go for forever. If they found out that we were here, they'd have a fit!"

"Got it." Cloud remarked.

"We'll take 'em some other time, Tifa!" Barret smiled, "Besides, the big kids gotta have some fun for themselves, too, right?"

Tifa returned the smile, "Right!"

An employee approached them at the entrance of the complex, right underneath a large, illuminated golden sign that read, 'THE GOLD SAUCER.' "Hello everyone and welcome to the Gold Saucer! If you'd like to purchase tickets, please make your way over to the ticket booth, where a Saucer Associate will be happy to assist you!"

Cloud and Cid made their way over towards the ticket booth. "Maybe we can get a discount? There are like...fifteen of us."

An associate chimed in, "Well, that's good news for you! The more people in your party, the less GP it will cost for each person!"

"Thank God." Cid slurred, "The price for one ticket costs a fuckin' mint to begin with!"

Yuffie returned to the group with a few park maps in her hands, examining the entire resort and all of the attractions and shops that were within. "Ooh, there's so much to do here! We could probably stay here for a couple days and still not do everything!" She examined the map closer, showing a few of the members the map. "Where should we start first? There's the new 'Bandits of the Wild West' attraction that opened up! Ooh, there's also the 'GalaxyQuest' rollercoaster!"

Zack and Reno chimed in once they saw the map, "There's the 'Light Racer' cars! YES!"

Tifa let out a laugh, "Oh, boys and their toy cars."

The group talked excitedly about their plans for the day, what attractions that they wanted to see and how they wanted to spend their time. Vincent remained quite adamant about all of it, insisting that he would stay in the room, unable to be persuaded. Even the Turks wanted to enjoy their time here. They came to the conclusion; even a Turks gotta have some fun every now and then.

Cloud and Cid returned to the group a few moments later with the tickets in hand, giving them out to everyone in the party. They stepped through the gates and arrived in the lobby, where several different chutes led off to the different sections of the resort. The place had gone through extensive changes since their last visit and had really changed.

"Wow, this place is incredible." Elena muttered, "I've never been before!"

"Yeah, there's so much to do here!" Zack chimed in.

"Hey, guys." Cloud called everyone's attention. "Cid and I are going to be heading to the hotel to make arrangements. You guys are free to do what you want for now. We'll give you a call once all of the rooms are booked." Cloud led Cid off towards one of the chutes that made its' way down towards the hotel.

The Turks had decided that they were going to head towards the Battle Square. After their last couple encounters, they figured that they could use some practice anyway. Reno at first did not want to go with them. He had wanted to spend some time with Tifa, but when she convinced him that they would go out later on that night, he changed his mind. He followed his fellow Turks to the Battle Square.

"The Turks, huh?" Zack questioned, with a smile. "I think it'd be fun to mess with them a little! Save some for me you guys!" Zack followed them out!

Barret turned to Vincent, who had started making his way out. "Vincent? Where you goin'?"

"Hotel." Vincent stated simply, walking down towards the chute.

Barret let out a grunt, "Well, I guess you stuck with me, Red. Come on, we'll go find somethin' to do around here!" Barret and Red made their way off towards one of the chutes.

"So, it's time for the girls to have some fun, then!" Yuffie cheered, followed by Aerith and Tifa.

"I suppose you wouldn't mind it if I came with you?" Shera approached the three.

"Of course not, Shera." Aerith smiled at the woman.

"Right, you're one of us, too." Tifa agreed.

"Besides, we're not going on any rides until later tonight anyway, so you don't have to worry about that now!" Yuffie stated, excitedly. "Right now, we're gonna fix Aerith up a little bit."

Shera raised her eyebrows, smiling a bit. "And how are we going about that?"

Tifa smiled, "The main reason why there are no boys with us here right now."

Aerith, Tifa and Yuffie looked at one another for a moment. "Shopping!"

* * *

Cloud and Cid made their way to the lobby of the hotel. "How many days are we stayin' here?"

"I don't know, a couple? It'll allow us to kill some time until we can start making our way back up to the northern continent. Let's try and get our rooms now."

"Shera and I will be together and none of you other kiddos are gonna be stayin' in our room!"

"Believe me Cid, I don't think of us would want that anyway." Cloud's eyes widened at the idea.

The two walked over to the front desk of the hotel where one of the front desk employees assisted them in getting a couple rooms for the next few days. The employee disappeared around the front desk for a moment, retrieving the series of keys and a few pamphlets displaying all of the activities happening throughout the resort.

A moment later, the employee returned with the keys in hand. "Here you are. The elevators to your rooms are just on the left. Please enjoy your stay with us."

"Thanks." Cloud took the keys and walked back up to Cid, handing one of them to him. "I'll call the others and let them know the rooms are ready." As Cid made his way up towards the room, Cloud traced his steps back to the main lobby of the Gold Saucer, taking out his phone and trying to find a good area with reception. When he reached the lobby, he found Aerith, Tifa, Yuffie and Shera talking amongst themselves.

"Hey Cloud!" Yuffie shouted back to him, as the other women turned to face him.

He approached the women, taking out a pair of keys. "Here you go, ladies. You'll be rooming with Elena, too. Play nice."

Tifa smirked, "Oh, don't worry, we will."

"Yeah!" Yuffie snickered, "By the time we leave, she'll either love us...or be dead!"

"Just try not to drive her too crazy." He turned to Shera. "Cid already has the key to the room, so you're all set. I assume you all have plans for the day?"

Tifa nodded, excitedly. "We'll be taking Aerith out, doing some shopping, going out to eat, you know, girl stuff!"

"And I already told you, no boys allowed! Have fun betting on the lame chocobo races with Cid!" Yuffie teased before running off.

Cloud rolled his eyes, "Believe me, I'll find better things to do with my time." He began to turn away.

"Come on, Aerith! Let's go!" Tifa shouted behind them, as the women made their way off.

Before Cloud took any more steps, he felt a hand grasp his arm. He quickly turned around to spot Aerith standing there, an innocent smile across her face.

"Um...hey." He scratched the back of his head. "Something wrong?"

She shook her head and clasped her arms around her back, leaning forward slightly. "Nope. I was just wondering when the two of us would be going on that ride you promised me."

"Oh. Well, aren't you a little busy now?" He slightly stuttered around his words.

Aerith placed a hand on her chin, tilting her head slightly. "Yeah, but, before you know it, we'll be making our way out of here and we would have missed the opportunity. I'm not letting you slip out of our deal!" She playfully advanced a few steps closer to him. She noticed the crimson shade appear across his face, as he became somewhat flustered. She could only smile at him.

Cloud stuttered for a moment, "Um,...maybe w-we can go...t-tonight? I mean, if that's ok with you! If you have other plans, I under-"

"Cloud, I'd love to." She smiled at him. "We can make a date out of it, okay? I mean, if that's ok with you! If you have other plans, I understand!" She began to playfully mock him.

Cloud crossed his arms, a serious expression falling across his face. "Now you're just making fun of me."

She smiled, "Only a little."

"So, we'll head out later on tonight. Will it just be us or will we be expecting some company?"

Aerith smiled, "Well, a few of us are going out tonight, so you could come join us. Don't worry though, I'm sure the two of us can find the time to go on at least one ride together."

"Ok, it's a plan." He nodded and smiled, looking into her eyes, excited for his new plans for the evening. "Well, whatever it is you're doing, have a good time. If you need anything-"

"You'll find me."

He nodded, "Yeah."

The two stood there for a moment.

"Come on, Aerith!" Yuffie shouted from around the corner of the lobby.

Aerith smiled back at him. "Well, I'd better be going before they drag me out of here. I'll see you tonight, Cloud." She gave him a small wave before turning around and making her way across the lobby.

For a moment, Cloud stood there and watched her walk away. After another lingering second, he turned around and started to in the opposite direction.

Aerith stopped walking for a moment and turned around, watching Cloud as he walked away. She smiled and let out a sigh.

* * *

The women made their way through the main shopping district of the Gold Saucer, passing by the various shops and merchandise stands along the way. The shopping district was a newly added expansion to the Gold Saucer Resort. There were stores upon stores of merchandise and clothing, new restaurants and bars and new entertainment venues. It was absolutely massive.

"Wow, this place is huge!" They gasped when they arrived, taking in the sights of all the stores and all the things to look at. "We could be here for hours."

With the money that Aerith had received, she looked forward to purchasing some new clothes for herself. What was more exciting, though, was that she was finally able to take off her military uniform!

Aerith skipped into one of the shops, happy with the clothing selections. "Ugh, I can't wait until I can take this thing off! It's become such a pest. It's so clammy and hot in here." She itched at her collar. She still had her pink dress on underneath. She could at least salvage her old dress, but the uniform on the other hand was dirty and worn out.

She made her way through the clothing racks, looking at the different designs and fabrics, taking suggestions from the women. Tifa smiled at her, "Thankfully none of the boys are with us. There's no way they'd ever let us shop this much."

"Well, sucks for them! They're missing out!" Yuffie cheered.

Aerith decided on a new pink dress, which accentuated her figure, hugging her curves. The skirt fell just above her knee. She picked up a short blue denim jacket, much like her first red one and decided to purchase it, too. She walked over to the check-out register with her new items in hand.

"Ready to check out, miss?"

"Yes, just this, please." She purchased the new clothes and went inside one of the changing rooms. When she was able to pry the uniform from her body, she changed into her newly purchased attire. She took out her old pink ribbon from her uniform and placed it in her pocket, deciding that it would be too much of a hassle to try and braid her hair now. She would just leave it loose for the time being. She emerged from the dressing room a moment later.

"Wow, you look great!" Tifa exclaimed.

Yuffie nodded, excitedly. "You'll definitely be turning all the guys' heads."

"Thanks." Aerith smiled at them. "So, we're to..." She paused in the middle of her sentence, as she felt her stomach grumble.

Shera laughed, "I think we know the answer there."

"Yeah, let's head over to get some lunch. We'll go and get you something to eat." Tifa suggested, leading them out of the store.

While on their way over to the restaurant, Yuffie and Shera decided to stop off at one of the stores, leaving Aerith and Tifa to continue on to get food. When they arrived at the place, they were sat down at their table and within moments they had placed their orders. The waiter returned moments later with their drinks.

Aerith took a large gulp from her drink, forgetting all about how famished she had felt.

"Careful Aerith. Wouldn't want to have to help you walk back to the hotel." Tifa winked at her.

Aerith laughed slightly, before a mischievous glint appeared in her eyes. "So, you and Reno are pretty intense, huh?"

Tifa's eyes widened, as she placed her hand over her mouth. "You can tell?"

"Well, I saw some glances exchanged back there and I hate to break it to you, but it wasn't subtle!" She playfully punched Tifa's arm.

"I know. It's strange." Tifa smiled at her. "We've been enemies forever, but now, things are...well, changing."

Aerith had an endeared expression across her face. "That must be nice."

She shook her head. "I mean, I don't know what'll happen between me and Reno. It could be a disaster."

Aerith gave her a mischievous smile. "But, if I were you, I'd see what could happen between the two of you."

"You would?"

"Well, yeah. It's one thing to say that he wants to be with you, but it's another to actually do something about it."

Tifa nodded, "I guess I've always been cautious about these kinds of things..."

"I understand, Tifa. We keep walls up around our hearts to protect ourselves from getting hurt...but, I've also learned that, while that wall might keep out the hurt, it might also keep out love."

Tifa smiled and sighed. She knew Aerith was right. "I know. I just have to see what becomes of all of this, I guess."

"Well, no worries. I'm sure everything will work out."

"Yeah." Tifa stalled for a moment. "Aerith, I sort of want to talk to you about Cloud."

Aerith nodded her head, understandingly.

"I should apologize first. After everything that had happened a few years back, we could have been a lot closer than we were, but I let some things get in the way. I'm sorry, Aerith."

"It's ok, Tifa. I'm sorry, too."

"Back then, I loved Cloud, even though we never really were close as kids and our lives took different turns. I couldn't help but feel jealous about you. Even after you were gone, Cloud still searched for ways to connect back to you."

Aerith sighed, "I'm sorry, Tifa. I don't want you to feel this way."

"No, it's alright, Aerith! I'm telling you this because everything is ok. While I do love Cloud, it's not the way that I used to, you know."

"Yeah, I understand. It's sort of the same way I feel with Zack. Like, we're still very close, but we're content knowing that we'll always be very good friends."

"Exactly!" Tifa laughed, "Ever since our adventure together, I've learned to see Cloud differently. Cloud's become like family to me. When I see him with Denzel and Marlene, it's almost as if he could be like an older brother to them. It's almost like I've become a mother to all of them. I want to make sure that they are happy and safe. It's great that even with all of the unfortunate things that have happened, all of our friends, you, Avalanche, we're like a family."

Aerith smiled, "Right. There's nothing more important than family."

"Right, I just wanted to get this all out on the table." Tifa sighed with a smile. "I wouldn't want anything to come between our friendship."

"I'm glad that we could talk about this, Tifa. I respect that we're close enough that we CAN talk about these kinds of things."

Tifa raised her glass, "Why don't we make a toast?"

"Why not?" Aerith smiled and raised her glass. "And what will we be toasting to?"

Tifa thought for a second. "Hm? Friendship."

Aerith brought her glass to *clink* with Tifa's "Friendship." They both took a sip from their drinks. After placing their drinks back down on the table, Aerith leaned forward. "Also, I don't know any friendship that has existed WITHOUT gossip. So, you're just gonna have to tell me some dirt on Reno AND Cloud! Spill it!"

Aerith and Tifa continued their meal, waiting for the other women to join them.

* * *

For the majority of the day, everyone had been able to occupy their time with something to do. None of them minded that they would be spending the next couple of days there, so there wasn't an urgent rush to see or do anything. The day had passed, the sun beginning to set over the resort.

Shera had met back up with at the chocobo races, while Aerith, Tifa and Yuffie went out to look for the boys. They made their way back through the shopping district, before Aerith's attention was caught by a small, red-headed girl selling flowers with her grandmother in the esplanade. "Hey, why don't you both continue up ahead, I'll catch up in a bit." Tifa and Yuffie continued to walk through the district.

Aerith approached the young girl. She kneeled down, "Well, hello there."

The little girl smile and flashed off the beautiful arrangement of flowers. "Hello, miss. Would you like a flower? They're beautiful, aren't they?"

Aerith smiled at the young girl's exuberance. "Yes, they're lovely. Flowers are my favorite. You know, I'm a flower girl myself."

The little girl's eyes widened, "You are? Wow! I never met another flower girl before." The girl reached into her woven basket of flowers, before producing a beautiful red carnation from within. "Here, I want you to have this one! It's so pretty!"

Aerith reached into her pocket to grab some gil. "Oh no, here. Let me give you this."

The little girl shook her head, stubbornly. "Nope, I want you to have this one for free! From one flower girl to another."

Aerith smiled at the young girl, realizing that she saw a lot of herself in the small child. She leaned forward, as the young girl placed the flower behind her ear, tucking a few of her strands of hair behind her ear. "Wow. It's beautiful."

The little girl smiled, "Nope, you're beautiful. You could be a princess!"

Aerith smiled and laughed slightly at the young girl, "Well, when you're older, you could be, too." She stood back up, "Well, thank you for the flower. It really is beautiful."

"You're welcome." The small girl waved to Aerith, before the older flower girl began to walk away. "Oh, I never got your name!"

"I'm Aerith."

"It's nice to meet you, Miss Aerith." The little girl smiled warmly at Aerith, a sparkle in her eyes, "My name is Kairi." She waved back towards Aerith, who began to walk back in the direction that Tifa and Yuffie were headed.

From around the corners of one of the buildings, a woman appeared intently spying on Aerith, as she walked away. 'Biding our time, are we? I'll have to keep my eye on that one again. We must be delicate in this next phase.'

Jenova stepped out from the corner of the building, her eyes remaining on Aerith. Her remarkable abilities were so convincing, no one would ever be able to see through her disguise as this woman. The woman continued to trail through the lobby. 'I must act quickly.'

* * *

Cloud tossed the basketball into the hoop and scored some points, earning some GP credits.

Zack stood next to him, also playing the game, scoring around the same number of points as Cloud. Reno stood behind them slightly, amazed at the adept skill and speed of their shots. They had barely missed a shot.

Zack turned to Cloud, "You know, I never pegged you as being an arcade kind of guy."

The blonde-haired man shook his head. "I'm not. I just promised myself I'd have some fun while I was here. Better make the most of it, I guess. Besides, I didn't want to be stuck with Cid placing bets on the chocobo races."

"Yeah, it'd be more fun to be trampled by the chocobos than to bet on the races with Cid." Reno laughed out loud, "So, your awesome skills at this game, there's gotta be some mako-induced side effects that gave you those skills, right?" Reno questioned, embarrassed at his own score in the game.

Zack smiled back at him, "Maybe a little bit. Though, it does prove pretty handy when it comes to any athletic skills. We could pretty much be pros at this. Right, Cloud?" He turned back to the man when he did not respond. "Cloud?"

Cloud was far too distracted by the figure that was approaching from the opposite corner of the arcade. 'Whoa...' His mind fumbled for a second, noticing Aerith approach them. 'She's...whoa...'

He took in her new appearance and, while her attire looked like something she would typically wear, it still looked beautiful on her. When she had entered the room, it was almost as if all eyes had fallen on her, which was something that Cloud had also noticed, detesting the feeling of jealousy emerge from within him. She was followed into the arcade by Tifa and Yuffie.

When Zack noticed Cloud's trance, he put the pieces together. "Oh, I gotcha."

When Aerith had found the three, a smile grew across her face when she saw Cloud. She stepped up to the three men and approached Cloud, "See, I told you I'd find you."

Zack turned to them, "Hey ladies! You enjoying yourselves?"

Tifa exclaimed, "Yeah! We've had a great day so far! Shera went back to the hotel with Cid, but we thought that we'd go out and see if we could catch a few rides. You guys want to come?"

Zack turned to Cloud, "What do you think, man? You want to go?"

Aerith turned to him, "Please, Cloud! It won't be as much fun without you." She pouted, almost trying to show off a sad expression, hoping that would change persuade him.

Cloud turned to her. 'Well, she did say that we could make a date out of it.' He smiled, "Yeah, I'll go. I have to go on that ride with you, right?"

"Well, you don't HAVE to, but I'd really enjoy it if you did." She smiled at him, happy with his decision.

"Awesome!" Zack pumped his fist into the air. "The cool kids are having fun tonight! I can't wait to see Cloud's face when he gets off the GalaxyQuest coaster!" He turned to his friend, "You've always been one for motion sickness."

Cloud shook his head and stated matter-of-factly, "Yeah, I don't think I'll be going on that tonight. Sorry, not interested."

Aerith took him by the arm, leading him towards the exit. "That's alright. We'll find something that we could go on where we don't have to worry about you, ok?" She started to lead him out of the arcade and towards the Attractions Zone.

Tifa followed them, as Reno caught up with her, wrapping his arm around her back. She leaned into his body a little more, resting her head on his shoulder. She definitely thought that she could get used to the idea of having Reno around a little more, especially when he was being this considerate around her.

Reno leaned down and whispered into her ear with a smile, "You know, when I asked you out on a date, I assumed it would just be the two of us." He had actually wanted to spend some time with just him and Tifa. After she convinced him to go with the Turks earlier in the day, he had wanted to spend some time with her, just her. Now, he was just starting to get impatient.

She smiled, "Don't worry, we can still make it a date. Even though we're going with a few of our friends, we'll find some time for ourselves, too."

Reno rolled his eyes. "So, when can we ditch the losers?"

She playfully slapped his arm. "Reno! Don't be mean." A small smile appeared across Tifa's face. "Don't worry; we'll spend our time together, too." She leaned up and placed a small, quick kiss to Reno's lips, before pulling away a moment later. She took his hand and began to follow after Cloud and Aerith.

A small smile appeared on Reno's lips, "Oh, we had better."

Zack turned to Yuffie a moment later, a small grin appearing across his face. "So...uh, should we be-"

"Ok. I'm gonna stop you right there." Yuffie cut him off instantly. "Before you get any ideas, this is in no way, shape or form a date with me. I'm simply hanging out with you because your friends with all of my friends and we happen to be the only two people that did not have some kind of pre-conceived date plans here. Also, I just met you like seven hours ago, so all of this would be very inappropriate and I have extremely high standards, so make sure that you are completely aware of that, Cloud II."

Zack was amazed by the young ninja's ability to say all of this in one instant and just stood there for a moment, an expressionless stare remaining across his face. "I'll remember that next time. Also, I have a name. It's Zack."

Yuffie smiled and shook her head. "Nah, still like Cloud II better."

The soldier rolled his eyes and sighed, "Ugh, well let's just get out of here and catch up with the others. We can still go out as friends, right? No strings attached?"

Yuffie laughed, "Sure thing, Cloud II." She began to sprint her way out of the arcade.

"I told you! IT'S ZACK!" He shouted, running after the ninja that dashed from the arcade.

* * *

"Ok, so where should we go first?" Yuffie exclaimed, holding a park map in her hands.

They had walked into the heart of the amusement park. Guests flooded the place, cheering and having a fantastic time on the several attractions scattered about the area. Beautiful lights illuminated the area, contrasting the carnival against the night sky. The park was lively and bustling, a sense of excitement and wonder traveling through the air.

"Ooh, what about the "Scary Manor Haunted Maze"? Zack looked at the park map. "Or maybe we could go on the "Fearfall Tower of Doom"? I don't know, everything looks cool!"

Tifa pointed just across the way, "Hey guys, the "Light Racer" cars are just over there! Why don't we head there first?"

"Let's go then!" Reno grabbed her hand and led her over towards the attraction entrance, followed by the others.

"So, what'll it be?" Zack smiled at all of them. "Boys versus girls? There's three boys and three girls. Last group of either three to cross the finish line has to buy a round of drinks? Is that fair?"

Aerith nodded, "Deal. Don't worry, girls. We've got this."

"We're gonna kick all of your butts!" Yuffie cheered, "If Reno's driving is as bad as I think it is, we've got nothing to worry about! Game on!"

They waited in line for a few more moments before each of them got into six individual cars, even spaced out along the track. After an employee came around to make sure that everyone was securely fastened inside, the race was on!

The cars zoomed down the track and arrived down a speedway that was illuminated in glowing, synchronized lights. Everything was lit in neon, wavy colors, contrasting against the dark walls which lined the raceway. Zack and Yuffie took a good lead on everyone, remaining consistently wavering back and forth in the lead position the entire time.

Aerith followed closely behind the two of them.

Just a little further behind, Reno accidentally cut off Cloud, causing the blonde-haired soldier to shout. "Reno! What the hell? You're on my team!" Cloud shook his head, frustrated. 'Damn, this thing is a lot harder to drive than it looks.' He was used to driving his sleek motorcycle, but being in this big, bulky box of a car only reminded him why he never wanted to drive a buggy.

"Sorry, man! Tifa's on my tail!"

Tifa raced behind him. "I'm not gonna let you beat me!"

"Well, I'm not gonna throw the game for you, just so I can be nice and let you win!" Reno shouted over the car's engine.

Tifa pressed her foot harder down on the gas and smiled as she slowly passed him. "Don't worry. I don't think you'll have to. See ya!" She sped around the corner, further ahead of him.

"Damn it!"

Further up ahead in the race, Zack and Yuffie were coming towards the finish line, crossing it at just around the same time as one another. Tifa soon passed by Aerith. "Come on, Aerith! We almost won!" Tifa sped up a little bit further.

Reno came up from around the corner and saw Aerith driving down the speedway. "Heh, coming in!" He pressed down on the gasoline, closing in faster and faster on Aerith's car. She saw him racing down towards her car and she quickly swerved out of the way. He almost hit her! "Reno, you jerk!"

"Sorry babe, I got a race to win!" He raced down faster towards the finish line.

Aerith regained her composure, trying to adjust the wheel of the car to get her back on track, but not before Cloud passed her car, as well. "You too?!"

"Sorry!" Cloud shouted over his shoulder. Cloud smiled, seeing the finish line just a little bit further up ahead. He could see that everyone else had already crossed and now, it was just Aerith and him finishing the race. Whoever crossed the line first would be the winner. The wind whipped through his hair, excitement building. 'Hm? Maybe I should throw the game for Aerith. Though, she'd probably hate it if I let her win!'

Cloud didn't time to think of anything else when he felt something hit the bumper of his car. He turned around to see Aerith's car literally flush against his own! She was doing it on purpose! "Are you trying to drive me off the road!?"

"YES! I want to win!" Aerith laughed out loud.

"Well, you'll have to do better than that!" Cloud shouted back, "Don't even think about hitting my car ag-"

She hit his car again.

"Aerith!"

She swerved out from behind his car and stepped on the gas. As she came around his car, she gave him a small wink, before waving at him and moving entirely ahead of him. Moments later, she passed the finish line. The girls cheered, while the men lowered their heads, ashamed.

"See? We told you we'd win!" Yuffie shouted, doing a victory dance. "In your face!"

"Cloud, come on!" Zack shouted over to him, as he pulled past the finish line. "You could have done better than that!"

Cloud sunk his head in defeat. 'At least I let her win in a fair match.' He saw Aerith jump out of the car, smiling as she headed over towards the girls. A look of pure victory flashed across her face. Cloud's lips twitched upwards. 'Well, it was worth it.'

* * *

They exited the attraction and met back up in the carnival of attractions.

Once she spotted Cloud, Aerith left the girls and approached him. She noticed the pout that flashed across his face when his eyes met hers. "Cloud Strife, don't tell me that you're upset that you lost to me."

Cloud averted his gaze and closed his eyes, the pout remaining on his face. "I could have won, you know."

Aerith advanced towards him, her finger wagging in his face as she smiled. "Listen here, soldier boy. You COULD have won, but you didn't! I did! Is that a problem?" A playful glimmer appeared in her green eyes.

Cloud bit his lower lip, trying not to smile, even though it didn't really work. "Nope, but if you think I'm going to LET you win next time, think again."

"Oh, so now you LET me win! I think someone's a sore loser..." She turned her back to him, as she walked back to the rest of the group.

"So, where to now?" Yuffie questioned, taking a glance at the other attractions nearby.

Tifa suggested, "Well, Reno did say that he wanted to go on the "GalaxyQuest" coaster. Can we go there next? There'll probably be a longer wait for that. I heard that it's one of the most popular things here!"

"Yeah, let's go."

"Um, GalaxyQuest coaster?" Cloud questioned.

Reno nodded, "Yeah, it's a coaster that makes it feel like you're going through space. It's fast, got quick drops, loops, everything!"

Everyone could almost see Cloud's face turn green. "Yeah, uh...sorry guys, but i t-think I'll sit this one out..."

Aerith moved forward, a small hint of disappointment in her eyes. "You sure?"

Cloud nodded.

"Yeah, Cloud's never been one for this kind of stuff." Zack smiled as he stepped next to Cloud, placing his arm on the man's shoulder and giving him a pat on the back. "Don't worry, I'll keep him company. You guys go have fun."

"Ok, we'll see you later then." Aerith waved back at them, before following Tifa, Reno and Yuffie to their next destination.

"Hey Aerith, wait a sec!" Zack shouted back to Aerith, running up to the woman. His voice was hushed, a whisper that only she could hear. "We're still not telling anyone about...you know, the whole "fate" thing right. That premonition, right?""

Aerith smiled at him, though her tone spoke otherwise of her feelings. "Zack. Now is not the time to be talking about this." She gritted through her smile. "They are standing right over there. You couldn't have spoken to me about this some other time?" She replied sternly, making Zack very aware of her feelings towards the conversation.

"Well, I don't know. I'm about to be spending some time with Cloud. I don't want anything to slip."

Aerith whispered, "Good. Make sure it stays that way. This is what I've talked about all along! I don't need him to find out that I could die almost as soon as I came back. Imagine what that would do to him, to everyone."

"Aerith? Are you coming?" Yuffie shouted.

Aerith looked back over her shoulder. "Yeah, just a second, Yuffie." She turned back to face Zack. "Please Zack, just don't tell him, not yet. I'll do it when I think it's right."

He sighed, "Well, ok, I won't tell him. Just don't drag this thing out longer than it has to be. That won't be good for anybody, especially him."

"I know." Aerith placed her hand on Zack's shoulder. "Thanks for understanding, Zack." She turned around to join the others.

Cloud watched Aerith and Zack the entire time. He knew that the two had once been a couple and Aerith herself even said that it wasn't anything that serious, she moved on from it. Though, now he was watching both of them together again, quiet whispers exchanged among them, her hand on his shoulder, Cloud felt the jealousy rise within him. He knew that he didn't really have the right to feel upset because of the relationship that once existed between Aerith and Zack, but it also did not make the jealousy go disappear, either. 'Damn...'

Zack made his way back towards Cloud, as the others walked off towards the attraction. He caught the look on Cloud's face and knew that something was wrong.

"Hey man, are you ok?"

Cloud lowered his head and sulked, "Yeah. I think I'm gonna go back to the hotel, for the night."

Zack was taken aback for a moment. "Wait, what? Why?"

Cloud sighed, "I think I've had enough fun for one night..."

Zack raised his hand on shook his head, "Cloud, we just started. What's the deal?"

"Zack, it's nothing. Leave it alone." Cloud tried to brush his friend off, but the man remained unrelenting.

It took Zack a moment longer for him to realize what this was about. "Is it Aerith?" He already knew what was aching Cloud's nerves, but he wanted Cloud to voice them himself.

Cloud closed his eyes and nodded his head.

Zack let out a frustrated sigh, "Well, what the hell, Cloud? Five minutes ago, the two of you were just fine. What the hell happened to you?"

"I already said I don't want to talk about it." The tone in Cloud's voice grew frustrated. 'Why won't he just drop it?'

"Oh, no you don't. Don't start pulling your moody, sulking Cloud with me. I'll give you a good hit and knock some sense into you," Zack seriously threatened.

Cloud stood there. He honestly just wanted to leave and not have anyone bother him again for the rest of the night.

Zack's angered expression fell, turning into one of curiosity as a thought hit him. "Are you made because of me and Aerith?"

Cloud let out a frustrated growl and countered, "I never said I was mad."

"But that's what it's about, isn't it?"

The blonde stood there for a moment and shrugged, unwilling to speak. If anything, he did not want Zack to know the jealousy he felt towards him.

"Seriously, Cloud? This is what you're so worried about?" Zack rolled his eyes and sighed, a small smile appearing across his face.

"Well, I don't know what to think when I see you and Aerith together like just before. What the hell was that about?" The anger is Cloud's voice grew, as the heated argument continued.

Zack shook his head and let out a frustrated sigh, "Cloud, that wasn't anything! That was Aerith just telling me not to..." He stopped suddenly, remembering exactly what Aerith said during their conversation. 'Don't tell him.' He was on the verge of spilling Aerith's secret to Cloud, but came out just a few words short. He hated this feeling, knowing that Cloud thought that their entire conversation was entirely something different than what it actually was: a secret shared between the two; a secret kept to avoid Cloud's pain.

Zack though like saying, 'She's keeping you from getting hurt, you idiot. She's just taking too damn long to tell you.' He shook his head, feeling as though he should tell Cloud what Aerith had meant to say to him. 'No, Aerith really should be the one to say it.' Zack shook his head and sighed.

"Tell you not to what, Zack?" Cloud demanded, a strict tone in his voice, one that Zack had never heard when they were younger.

Zack stuttered there for a moment, thinking of anything to say that would avoid the topic in his head. "She told me not to tell you that she's crazy about you." He stood there frozen, a smile across his face. He thought to himself, 'Well, it's not like I'm lying to him. It's a hell of a lot better than what I was gonna say to him.'

Cloud paused, his angry expression softening. "What?"

Zack smiled, "Come on, Cloud. I know you can't be possibly as clueless as some of us make you out to be."

"But the two of you, aren't you, I mean, weren't you-"

"Man, we dated like eight years ago, we moved past all that. It wasn't anything serious anyway. We're real good friends now, that's it." Zack sighed, "If you need any convincing, you should hear the way that she talks about you. Believe me Cloud, she feels something for you that she never felt with me. She once told me that, while you reminded her of me, she was able to see past the confusion and break through to you. She saw the real Cloud." Zack smiled. "She said that guy won out."

Cloud lowered his eyes, it was all that he wanted to hear, he just didn't expect it to happen like this. "Why?" He found himself saying. "Why would she want me when she could have a real hero like you?"

Zack placed his arms on Cloud's shoulders, before shaking him rapidly and smiling. "Knock it off! You are a great guy! If you're really so uncertain, just go ask her yourself."

Cloud smiled slightly, feeling better. This is what he wanted, to be with her. Even after death, separation, being kidnapped by some company, he always wanted to be with her. Cloud felt his heart uplift, this was his chance. "So, you're really being serious? She really feels that way?"

Zack smiled, "Swear on it."

Cloud turned around and made his way towards the "GalaxyQuest" coaster, a large grin spreading across his face. He was going to tell her, no matter how much he was going to stumble his way through it. It was his perfect opportunity.

Zack smiled, watching as Cloud walked off. 'Took him damn long enough. He needed a good push.' He laughed to himself. 'Man, I can't wait for the punch Aerith's gonna give me when she finds out what I just did.'

* * *

The four made their way out of the exit of the attraction, feeling their heads spin from the disorienting nature of the ride. They laughed as they staggered their way out of the ride.

As they made their way back through the carnival, Tifa caught sight of someone familiar. "Huh?...what?"

It took her a moment to realize that she saw Elena...and Tseng holding hands, pulling away from a kiss. Tifa lifted her hand to her mouth, as a smile appeared. 'I guess it's not really unexpected.' Elena caught sight of Tifa and her eyes instantly went wide. She quickly raised her finger to her lips, signaling Tifa to be quiet about what she had just seen. Tifa nodded her head and smiled. Thankfully, Aerith, Yuffie and Reno seemed far too distracted to notice the new couple walking through the fair.

Cloud soon found them walking amongst the fair and walked up to the four of them. When he saw Aerith, he couldn't help but form a small grin across his face. Now that he knew what she had felt, any sense of doubt that he had was erased. By the end of the night, he would tell her. It would be perfect. "Hey guys. How was the ride?"

"Absolutely crazy." Tifa exclaimed, "It was worth it, though. We had a good time!"

"Yeah. We're about to go on some more rides!" Yuffie seemed very excited. The night as still young to her, even though the sun had set long ago, the night sky setting in.

Cloud leaned forward to Aerith, who smiled back at him. "Um, you...you wanna go on that ride now?"

Now that he was talking to her, he felt more nervous, like he always would feel around her. 'Come on, Cloud. You can do this. You know she has feelings for you.'

Aerith smiled back at him, "I'd love to." He extended her hand to grasp hers, as he led her away from the others.

Reno smiled to himself, as the two began to walk away. "Thank God. Now that we finally got rid of those two, all we have to do is pre-occupy Yuffie." He whispered into Tifa's neck, sending a good shiver down her spine, causing her to let out a playful laugh.

As Yuffie watched the two perform their playful ministrations on one another, she rolled her eyes and let out a sigh. "Believe me, I'm not getting stuck with you two! I've fought Sephiroth and been stuck with Cid's foolishness, but I'm running from this!" She marched off, determined to find some way to occupy her time, but in a place like this, that would not be so hard.

Reno smiled, "Good. Now we finally have some time to ourselves." He kissed Tifa's neck, as a small moan of satisfaction escaped her lips.

* * *

"Where are we going?"

Cloud led Aerith through the carnival attractions. "Don't know. I thought I'd let you pick the one you want to go on, as long as it's nothing too intense."

She smiled to herself. "Oh, don't worry. I think I know just the one we can go on together." Now, she took his hand and was the one to lead him to their next destination.

'Hm. It figures she'd choose this one.' Cloud smiled, as she led him to the entrance of the Gondola, the ride that they had been on when they went on their last date.

Aerith turned back to him and smiled, "Does this one work good for you?"

Cloud smiled and nodded, "Whatever you'd like." The next cart arrived in the loading station and the two stepped inside. Once inside, Aerith straightened her hair over her ear, causing the small flower tucked behind her ear to fall.

"Here." Cloud leaned down and picked up the small carnation. He paused for a moment. He closed his eyes, remembering how this all felt so uncannily similar to their first encounter. Cloud smiled to himself and opened his eyes.

"Would you like a flower, miss?"

Aerith giggled to herself, "Let me guess. They're only a gil, right?"

"Only a gil for someone as pretty as you." Cloud said before he could stop himself. Aerith saw the look on Cloud's face, one that was a mixture of sincerity and confusion.

'That was...pretty forward of Cloud.' Not that she minded, she just wasn't expecting it.

Cloud averted his gaze slightly and scratched the back of his head, before handing the flower over to Aerith.

"Thank you."

They took their seats opposite of one another on the wooden benches on the sides of the cart. Soon, the cart began to left up into the sky, as it encircled the entire amusement park, offering splendid, magical sights of the entire Gold Saucer.

As the cart continued to ascend, a tranquil, yet sad acoustic music began to fill the cart. It sounded beautiful, everything looked beautiful. It was the perfect moment.

Aerith leaned forward to look outside the window, admiring the sights. "Wow. It really is...beautiful."

Cloud looked at Aerith, a faint smile appearing across his lips. "Yeah."

Aerith lowered her head, closing her eyes. "You know, the last time we were here, I said that I...wanted to meet you, remember?" She smiled slightly at him. "At the time, I knew that you wouldn't really understand because you weren't well."

"I understand now."

A warm smile spread across her face. "I know. I'm glad to see that you've found the person that you were always meant to be. I like this Cloud."

Aerith smiled at him, as he nodded his head. She looked back outside the window, admiring the beautiful sights that were before her. 'It really is beautiful.' From the corner of her eyes, she glanced over towards Cloud, admiring his masculine, yet boyish figure from across the cart. 'So is he.'

She let out a sigh. She felt sad. She wanted this moment to last forever, even though she knew that it wouldn't. She was finally back, she was with him, they were both here together. Everything was exactly how she always wanted it to be.

'Then, why do I feel this way?' She thought to herself, averting her gaze from the window.

She knew the reason. 'Because I haven't told him everything yet.' She had been waiting for the right moment to tell him about what could happen to her. She'd been prolonging it and with every passing second, she had more of an urge to say it. She just wanted to wait for the right time. Even now, the two of them here alone, she still had her inhibitions to tell Cloud what was bothering her.

'How can I tell him when he looks so...happy.' There was still so much she had to say to him, but she couldn't find the words, not yet. 'I wonder what he's thinking about.'

'Tell her. You've waited long enough.' Cloud thought to himself. 'Now's your chance.'

Cloud opened his mouth to speak, until he saw Aerith's face. A small tear slipped down from the corner of her eye. 'She's...crying? Did...did I do something wrong?" Cloud's eyes softened, as he watched the flower girl before him trying to masquerade her tears. He wanted to say something to make it better.

Aerith averted her gaze slightly, trying to her the tear that fell down her cheek, quickly raising her hand to wipe it away. She hoped Cloud didn't notice. All of the feelings she had inside of her, they were all appearing now. Happiness, sadness, hope, fear. They were near to bursting. She was finally here with him, they had found each other and yet, there was still something she was keeping from him that made her feel like she was still a world apart.

'I said I didn't want to hurt him.' She closed her eyes, making her decision. 'But he deserves to know. He has the right to know. Tell him. You've waited long enough. Now's your chance.'

Aerith raised her head, looking towards Cloud, who was already staring intently back at her. A small frown appeared across her face, something he wasn't quite used to seeing.

"There's something I want to say."

"Me too."

"Cloud..."

Lights suddenly illuminated from around the windows of the Gondola, sending vibrant colors through the windows, as loud booms erupted outside of the cart, The two looked outside to spot the beautiful fireworks that surrounded the cart. Colorful variations, beautiful displays, the entire scene seemed magical. The two seemed lost in the colors and designs that wrapped around the cart. The lights flashed across one another's faces, as the two stared across the cart at one another.

The two both parted their lips, ready to say what they had wanted to for a while, but the words never came. They were drowned out by the fireworks.

* * *

The cart had pulled back into the station and the two exited the vehicle.

Aerith turned back to him. 'I'm...glad that we got to go on a ride together."

Cloud sighed and let out a small smile. "So am I."

She turned her back to him, disappointed that she did not say what she had wanted to.

"It really was beautiful." She began to walk a little bit further ahead of him. "I guess...we should head back and join the others."

Cloud knew that his opportunity was slipping away from his grasp. He wanted to tell her everything that his heart had been begging to tell her for a while.

"Aerith! Wait!" He called out to her, running up to meet her, as she turned around, looking at him curiously.

"I never said what I wanted to tell you." Cloud softened his voice, as he lowered his eyes. This was his chance and he was not going to let it escape him. This was what he had wanted. He wasn't going to let anything come between him and her now.

Aerith felt her heart still, as she stepped forward to him. She felt that it was impossible to feel so much happiness and pain at the same time. She almost already knew what Cloud was going to say, which only made it all the more painful for her to hear.

"Aerith...I...I..." He stumbled on his words for a few moments. 'Come on, Cloud!'

She raised a finger to his lips, catching him off-guard. "Cloud, don't."

He looked at her, confused and uncertain. "What?" His voice was a mere whisper. "I don't understand."

She stood there and shook her head. A small smile appeared across her lips, but he knew it wasn't one of happiness; it was one that masked her sadness. Her eyes became watery, a few stray tears falling down her cheeks.

"I can't." Her voice sounded broken, her lip quivering. This was too painful for either of them to go through. She didn't want Cloud to go through losing her, not again. The tears continued to fall down her cheeks. "I just can't."

He was on the verge of outpouring his feelings for her, now that he was so sure of her own, but she stopped him. She had her own fear of her possible predicted death that prevented her from getting any closer to him.

She turned away from him and quickly made her way down towards the lobby.

As Cloud stood there, he felt his heart sink, watching her walk away from him yet again. He looked down and spotted the small flower that had fallen from her hair. He picked up the small flower and held it gently. He had wanted to tell her everything that he had felt, but she had denied him that chance. 'Why? What did I do?' He closed his eyes, a sad, disheartening feeling overwhelming him.

"Aerith..."

* * *

Aerith made her way through the esplanade, her head hung low. She felt terrible for leaving Cloud and wanted nothing more than to rush back to him and throw her arms around him.

She felt her tears stain her cheeks, as she breathed in heavily. She glanced over her shoulder, looking back at the colorful fireworks which exploded overhead. She felt stupid for what had just happened. 'I should have told him earlier. None of this would have happened.' She allowed herself to become close to him all over again, without even telling him of the Cetra's prediction of her fate. 'How can I let myself be close to him when I know I could die again?'

'Is there any way I can be with him without hurting him?' She sighed, continuing to walk forward. 'Is this always going to be our fate? To find one another only to lose each other again?'

Aerith glanced over her shoulder, sensing someone approaching her and saw Yuffie peek out from behind one of the corners of the building.

Yuffie timidly walked up to the flower girl, a solemn expression on her face. She looked serious, an expression the young ninja rarely showed. Slowly, she wrapped her arms around Aerith, comforting the woman, as she cried. "Are you ok, Aerith?"

Aerith replied into her shoulder, a few sobs choking out. "Not even close."

The young ninja was always one to cause a scene, to be the vibrant, aggressive one, but not here, not now. "Do you...do you want to talk about it?"

Aerith lowered her head. "No..."

Yuffie frowned, a small frown across her face. She found herself getting choked up. Aerith was always the one to be optimistic, to raise everyone's spirits, but seeing her like this, it changed everything. "Do you...want me to go? What should I do?"

"No."

"Come on, let's go."

"What are we doing?" Aerith questioned through her tears.

"Waiting for tomorrow." Yuffie comforted the girl. "If you feel sad today, it will start to heal by tomorrow. You'll get through this." Yuffie extended her hand. "Be strong."

Aerith grasped Yuffie's hand and nodded. "Ok."

"Things will get better."

The two walked back to the hotel, as the fireworks continued to illuminate the sky. 'It really is beautiful.'

Aerith sighed. There was no more running or hiding. She had already hurt Cloud minutes ago, even when she promised herself that she wouldn't do it. She would tell them.

"Yuffie, there's something I've been keeping from all of you." Aerith whispered. "We...need to talk."

* * *

Thanks everyone for reading! Please review. Hopefully, you enjoyed!


	12. The Bodyguard

**Chapter 12 - The Bodyguard  
**

Cloud lazily opened his eyes and turned in his bed. His eyes caught sight of the clock. It was already 9:54 A.M. He saw the two empty beds beside his and knew that Vincent and Reno must have already been up for the day.

To Cloud, this would be considered sleeping in. He never had the intention of sleeping this late, but after the past few couple of days, he realized that his lack of sleep must have caught up to him. Cloud let out a sigh and got out of bed. Before returning to his room the previous night, he spent another hour trying to find Aerith, but she was gone. He felt hurt and confused. He wasn't entirely sure where her mind was at, either. He wanted to talk to her about everything that he was feeling, but she returned to the hotel before he had the chance. He would have to wait until the morning.

When he tried to sleep, it almost seemed impossible. When sleep was just about to take him, his mind wandered to Aerith and everything that had just happened between them. It seemed like he would replay the scene in his head for hours, robbing him of a good night's sleep. When she had walked away from him, he couldn't help but feel like there was more to her story than what she was leading on. He had many questions and needed answers.

He got out of bed and let out a stretch. His head felt heavy and his eyelids hung low. Even for sleeping in as late as he did, he could not help but feel exhausted. 'Too much thinking for one night.' He examined the small carnation that was on the small drawer next to the bed, the same flower that Aerith had left behind the night before.

He let out a sigh and made his way towards the bathroom, where he threw his shirt over his head, before turning the shower nozzle on. As mist began to fill the room, he stared at his reflection from the mirror.

'I have to talk to her.'

* * *

Aerith opened her eyes moments later, feeling the comfort of the bed beneath her. After the previous night she had, a long sleep is exactly what she needed.

She turned to see Yuffie and Tifa in the beds next to her. She thought about what had happened when she returned to the hotel along with Yuffie the night before.

* * *

The two had returned to their hotel room, where Tifa was already in her bed, content with the wonderful time that she had spent with Reno. She could tell from both Aerith and Yuffie's expression that something wasn't right.

Aerith spoke, "Tifa, there's something I want to talk to you and Yuffie about."

Tifa leaned forward, concern in her eyes. "What is it?"

With that, Aerith and Yuffie took a seat on the bed next to hers, while Aerith began to tell the two of them everything that she had tried to keep secret from all of her friends.

"The Cetra of the Lifestream predicted that you would die if you were to fight Jenova?" Tifa questioned. "You never told anyone about this?"

Aerith shook her head, a sigh of disappointment escaping. "Zack's the only one who knows. I didn't really want anyone else to be concerned about it, especially Cloud. If he knew what could happen again..."

Yuffie stopped her, "Ok, first of all, you are like the greatest person in the world for wanting to protect Cloud like that."

Aerith shook her head. She didn't feel that way.

She ran her hand through her loose hair. "At one point, I wasn't sure if I even wanted to see any of you again. You'd become involved with my problems again. You'd have to worry if I was safe or if I was going to die. I didn't want any of that."

The three paused for a moment.

Yuffie sighed and smiled, "Well, the only reason why you'll have to worry about dying is if we kill you."

Aerith glanced at her, confused. "Excuse me?"

"Why didn't you tell us, Aerith?" The young ninja stated with a hint of sadness in her tone. "We've been through all this before. Cloud with his Geostigma, with Red just a few days ago. Why would you think we wouldn't be there for you this time?"

Tifa grasped Aerith's hand. "We're your friends. Why would you shut us out?"

Aerith smiled and shook her head.

"That wasn't my intention. I just needed...wanted to have a normal life, where my friends didn't have to worry about me and we could all go to silly places like the Gold Saucer together. You know, for just a few hours, I could pretend that my life was perfectly normal."

Tifa and Yuffie nodded, understandingly.

She continued, lowering her head, "But once your friends find out, you can't pretend anymore because you can see it in their eyes; the fear, the sadness."

Tifa questioned, "Is that all you see when you look at us?"

Yuffie smiled slightly.

"No." Aerith's lips twitched upwards. "No, of course not." She glanced down at the three of them holding hands.

Yuffie nodded, "We'll help you through this. You won't fight this battle with Jenova alone."

Tifa nodded, "Even if this isn't easy, we'll find a way to save you, Aerith."

"Uh-huh! We're not writing you off again this time! We're your friends, Aerith! We're going to be there for you, no matter what."

Tifa agreed with the young ninja, "She's right, you know. You should tell everyone. I'm sure they'd understand."

"Hell, we'd be even more willing to kick Jenova's ass if this prediction were true!" Yuffie cheered, "Could you imagine the look on Cloud's face when he sees Jenova again?! She's a goner. Believe me, he's not gonna let anything happen to you."

"Thank you both for understanding."

Tifa smiled at her. "It's like we said. You're our friend. We're not letting you go through this alone, so you'd better make some room for us to come along with you."

Aerith smiled at the two of them.

* * *

Back in their room, Aerith and Yuffie were just starting to get up for the day. Tifa had already left for the morning, heading out to see what Reno and Barret were up to. While the two were getting ready, Elena slipped out of the bathroom.

Yuffie raised an eyebrow at the woman, a coy smile in her lips. "So, how was your big date last night?"

She let out a frustrated sigh and brought one of her hands up to her crimson cheeks. "Tifa told you!? Ugh, this is why I knew I couldn't trust you three with anything. You just can't keep anything to yourselves!"

"Of course we can!" Yuffie smiled. "We just do it to annoy you."

Aerith shot a quick glance over to the ninja. "Yuffie, leave her alone."

"Thank you, Aerith." Elena turned to the Cetra while brushing her short blonde-hair. "At least one of you isn't so bad. Besides, there's nothing serious happening between Tseng and I. We've just been out on a few dates. It's no big deal." She sighed, a content look coming across her face. "Though he is very...handsome..."

Yuffie shook her head. "Ew. Barf. Please, let's stop. I haven't even had my breakfast yet. I don't need to get sick this early."

Elena shot her a quick look, "I don't see us becoming friends. Well, don't worry, I'll get out of your hair. I've got better things to do than to entertain some little girl."

"Looks before age, my dear." Yuffie mocked a smile, waving at Elena as she left the room. "Can you believe her? She thinks she's so great because she's young and pretty." She stopped for a moment, "Actually, she's not that pretty."

"C'mon, Yuffie. She isn't that bad at all." Aerith smiled towards her friend.

"Well, as long as she keeps herself out of trouble, we won't have any problems! I hate to say it though, she won't ever fit in like you, Tifa and I do!"

"Yuffie, be nice!"

"Well, she is a part of the Turks. You know how they are! Sorry Aerith, but they just can't be good."

Aerith sighed, "Oh, I think they can be, even Elena. They're just afraid to lose that image they make up of themselves."

They were interrupted by a small knock on the door. Yuffie glanced over towards the door, before heading over to the wooden frame. "Damn, Elena! Why can't she remember to bring her room key with her?!" The ninja went to open the door.

"Cloud!? Eh, can I help you?" Yuffie stepped outside of the room, slightly closing the door behind her.

He nodded, somewhat sheepishly, his eyes lowering. "Yeah, I wanted to see if I could talk to Aerith."

Yuffie quickly glanced inside of the room and mouthed a quiet, 'Cloud' to Aerith.

Aerith shook her head, nervously, mouthing back a "no" to her, an astonished look on her face.

Yuffie turned back to face Cloud, a small frown appearing across her face. "Sorry, Cloud. She's still asleep. She's really tired," she lied. "Anything I can do for you?"

Cloud nodded, disappointed. "Yeah, can you just tell her that I want to talk to her when she gets the chance." He began to walk away, his head low, sulking.

"Will do." She flashed him a small smile, before closing the door. She turned back to Aerith. "I believe you got his message."

Aerith closed her eyes, bringing her knees up to her chest. 'I hate seeing him like this. It's all because of me.'

The young ninja walked over to her friend, placing a hand on her shoulder. "You wanna tell me what that was all about?"

Aerith sighed, "I don't think I'm ready to talk to Cloud just yet."

"Why? I thought you had a good time last night?" Yuffie questioned.

"We did, up until the end if the night, really. I was going to tell him about the Cetra's prediction, but I...got cold feet at the last second." She began to play with the fabric of her dress. "Not to mention, he looked so happy, the happiest I'd ever really seen him. I didn't want to ruin that."

Yuffie smiled, "Well, if you tell him, it will make everything a whole lot easier, you know that. It might be difficult, but you have to do it, Aerith. You can't keep away from him forever! No amount of hiding will help you. He'll find a way to see you one way or another."

Aerith smiled and rolled her eyes, "He always does. You're right, Yuffie. I can't keep it away from him forever. I just hope that he'll understand."

"Just be honest with him. It's the best thing you can do." Yuffie smiled, assuredly placing her arm around Aerith.

"Thanks, Yuffie." She laughed slightly. "Since when have you become the most logical voice of reason?" Aerith always knew that Yuffie could be a little immature, but this was a side of Yuffie that showed the promise of a beautiful, young woman waiting to bloom.

"Well, I think you're starting to rub off on me now that you're back."

Aerith smiled at her, "Really?"

"I think so." The young ninja returned a grin, "Now, let's head out and see what everyone's up to."

* * *

Cloud made his way out of the hotel and down towards the main esplanade of the Gold Saucer.

'I'll get to talking to her one way or another. She can't keep this up forever.' Cloud decided to push the thoughts out of his mind and find something to do to bide his time.

When he arrived in the main lobby of the Gold Saucer, he found Zack studying a poster on one of the walls. When Zack caught sight of his friend, he waved him over.

Cloud studied the poster along with his friend, "What's this?"

"Some kind of championship that is happening in the Battle Square today. Apparently, there's a pretty cool reward for the winner! It says that...ehm...Dio is hosting the event!" Zack continued to read from the poster's description. "Contestants are coming from all corners to battle it out in an epic battle of skills and bravery! For more information and sign ups, please proceed to the Battle Square."

The blonde-haired soldier thought for a moment. "It sounds...interesting." He knew that doing this would be an effective way of taking his mind off of some of his other thoughts. Zack knew this, as well, and tried to persuade Cloud in signing up.

"It sounds like fun! Doing some fun combat could be just what I need to get back into shape. Besides, it'd be awesome to face you!"

"You're signing up, too?" Cloud questioned.

"Well, yeah! I'm not gonna let you have all the fun! Let's head over and see what this is about." The two began to make their way over to the Battle Square.

Zack turned back to Cloud, "You will give me back my sword for the competition, right? I mean, it was mine to start with."

"I don't think so, but nice try."

While they walked, Zack glanced over at Cloud, curious. "So, how'd things go with Aerith last night?"

Cloud sighed and scratched the back of his head. "Could have gone better." He really didn't feel like talking about this now.

Zack looked over at Cloud, surprised, expecting to see a different reaction from Cloud, especially after how he looked the previous night. "What? Did she turn you down? What the hell happened?"

Cloud shook his head, "No, it wasn't even like that. I was about to tell her something and then she...walked away from me." He bit his lip, confused. "I felt like there was something she wasn't telling me."

Zack's eyes widened slightly, as he averted his gaze towards the Battle Square. "Yeah, I don't know."

Cloud noticed his friend's reaction and stood in front of him, blocking his path. "Zack. Do...do you...know something?"

Zack shook his head. "Cloud..."

He realized, "You know something."

"Look, I-"

"Come on, Zack. I helped you when no one else would. What do you know?"

'Damn, she was right. This is complicated.' Zack lowered his head and sighed. "Ok, look. She's been wanting to tell you something. She's just having a hard time getting around to it."

Cloud remained their confused. "What is it?"

His friend shook his head. "It's...something that she should tell you. Not me."

'So, there was something wrong. It wasn't just me.' Cloud thought to himself. He was now more determined to talk to her. "Is it something bad?"

Zack didn't respond, "Cloud, talk to her. She'll tell you."

Cloud lowered his head, it was as if he already knew the answer and he was already starting to embrace the pain.

Zack placed a hand on his friend's shoulder. "Hey, don't look so down. She came back to help everyone out again."

"Exactly." Cloud snapped back at Zack. "Why is she always putting herself in this position? She saved the world once, she cured everyone from Geostigma, now she's fighting Jenova?"

Zack stepped back from Cloud's words.

"How come when I tell her, 'Aerith, don't get involved' or 'Aerith, I don't want to see you get hurt', she doesn't listen? She's always helping out others before her damn self! I don't want to see her get hurt, not again!"

Zack nodded, "She's just afraid to look vulnerable. That's one of her problems. She would forgive the people that hurt her. She'll put everyone before her instead of taking anyone's help. She can save the entire world, but in the end, who's there to save her?"

"I was her bodyguard. It was supposed to be me!"

Zack continued to lead Cloud onward, "Cloud..."

"No, Zack! I want to see her have a normal, safe life. Why can't she have that?"

Zack quieted, unsure of what to say. Cloud did have a point. "I don't know, Cloud."

Cloud let out a frustrated sigh, making it aware that Zack's response wasn't good enough. He was confused before and it wasn't getting any better.

The two made their way up to the competition registration desk in the Battle Square. Behind the desk, they met Dio filing through the sign-ups.

"Hey Cloud! Good to see ya again!" The burly man approached Cloud from behind the desk. "You two here to sign up for the games?"

Cloud smirked, "Maybe. We wanna see what this is all about."

"Yeah! What's the rules? What are the prizes!?" Zack asked, excitedly.

Dio smiled at the two. "The rules are simple. Each contestant is in their own rank and fights their way through the bracket of contestants. Each fight must be fair, no magical powers, no special skills, just essential combat. The victor of the tournament will be given a lifetime pass to the Gold Saucer! They'll be awash in luxury, honored like a king!"

"Damn, sound like the kind of life for me!" Zack said with a smile. "Where's the sign-ups!?"

Dio handed over the sign-up sheet to Zack.

"You're signing up too, right Cloud?"

Cloud scratched the back of his head. "I...guess so." He took the sign-up sheet and wrote his name down.

"Good job, boys! The tournament will be later on today! Make sure to arrive at the Battle Square on time so we can go over the rules with all of the contestants in place. We'll see you then! Good luck guys!"

Cloud and Zack walked away from the reception area.

Zack turned to Cloud, "Let's go do some warm ups! I could already see myself in the lap of luxury now." He grinned at his friend. "Sorry Cloud, but you're going to have to put up a good fight to beat me!"

* * *

Red made his way along the outskirts of the Gold Saucer. He felt a little misplaced in the vastness of all of the Gold Saucer, but wanted to explore the place. He walked along the rim of one of the complex balconies, looking down onto the vast desert that surrounded the Gold Saucer. It was a warm, beautiful day outside, not a single cloud in the sky. Red breathed in, enjoying the light, summery scent in the air.

"Well, it seems that you've taken well to the solitude! Ho hoo hoooo!"

Red turned around to the familiar voice, "Grandfather?" The wolverine immediately recognized Bugenhagen. He looked exactly the same. He had a bald head, but a long, white beard and a pair of dark glasses that masked his eyes.

"Hello, Nanaki." The older man approached the wolf, petting his head.

"I don't understand. What are you doing here? I thought that you were back in Cosmo Canyon?"

"I sensed this feeling that you were in trouble. I felt a disturbance coming from Corel. I had to make sure." His grandson had always known that he had a mysterious, otherworldly sense of power. Though, this power was something that even Bugenhagen couldn't entirely understand.

"And you came all the way over here just to check that I was alright?"

Bugenhagen seemed appalled, "You are my family, Nanaki! I wouldn't just leave behind my flesh and blood, ho hooo hoooo!" He smiled at his grandson, "Besides, the day's journey was good for me. Once you've lived the few hundreds of years that I have, it's good to take the opportunity to explore the world and see all the beauty it has to offer."

Nanaki nodded, "Well, you might be a few hundred years old, but you still look just as lively as ever."

Bugenhagen chuckled, "Oh, I wish I could feel the same way as I look then." A fit of coughs suddenly overtook the elderly man. He pulled out a small handkerchief to cover his mouth, as a few more violent coughs came from the man.

His grandson asked, concerned, "Grandfather? Are you alright?"

"I'm afraid not, Nanaki. Life has started to take a toll on me." He tried to speak through his coughs, "I'm fairly sick, Nanaki."

"Sick?" Nanaki asked, "But grandfather, you know cures and ailments for just about everything. You've collected so much knowledge throughout your years traveling the planet. Surely you must know some remedy for you to get better."

Bugenhagen sighed, "Nanaki, I've lived many years on this planet and from what I've seen; people will reach a moment where they are not meant to get better. Though, you need not worry, I will not give up so easily, my boy!" Another fit of coughs erupted from the man, as he breathed into the handkerchief. When he pulled the white cloth away, he saw the red spots of blood that collected, hiding it from his grandson's view.

"Grandfather, you don't know anything about this sickness? There isn't some type of magic or potion that can heal you?"

"Neither will work, I'm afraid. This is a disease, not some wound you can bandage."

"And there's no cure?"

"I'm not certain. I'm not even sure of what it is that ails me." He thought for a moment, "From my knowledge, I do remember reading of a certain remedy that could heal any sort of wound or disease; something powerful enough to rejuvenate the energy of the body from within. A masterful healing property of sorts."

Nanaki stepped forward, anticipating, "What is this remedy?"

"It is a flower. I believe it was called the Naosu Blossom. It is a strong, curative blossom, but is extremely rare and hard to come by. From my research, I believe that they've only been discovered in a single location, one that's not the easiest to reach, either."

Bugenhagen pulled out a small piece of paper which contained a map. He unfolded it and held it up for his grandson to see. A red circle marked the location. "I believe you've been there before."

Nanaki examined the mark on the map, "Yes, I have. It isn't the easiest location to reach, but if this could save your life grandfather, if this could make you better, I'm willing to try and find this flower."

"No, Nanaki. You shouldn't. I came here to look after you. You shouldn't have to worry about me, ho hoo hooo!"

"Grandfather, if you could make sure that I am ok, I can do the same for you. With my friends' help, we can get there. We're supposed to be headed towards the Forgotten City to obtain the White Materia to stop Jenova, but if they were to-"

His grandfather interrupted, "Nanaki, I couldn't possibly ask for their help with such other important matters at hand!"

We'll be able to find that flower and then you'll be alright! We'll return to Cosmo Canyon, to our home!"

Bugenhagen smiled at his grandson, "You are remarkable, Nanaki."

Nanaki began to walk away, "I want to talk to the others about this. They will understand."

Bugenhagen felt proud of his grandson for becoming so determined to save his life. Though he was sicker than he was willing to let on, he couldn't help but smile at his young grandson's confident nature, knowing that there was still a chance to save his life. If they were able to reach this flower, to obtain it, there was still hope for Bugenhagen.

'A strong, healing blossom...able to heal any wound and disease. The Naosu Blossom.'

* * *

A few hours had passed, while Aerith and Yuffie explored more of the Gold Saucer. The entire area seemed remarkably quieter during the day, the consistent theme of the park only heard dimly from the theme park's speakers. They arrived at the Speed Square, where they ended up running into Barret, Cid, Shera, Reno and Tifa.

"So Cid, is this what you really do for fun? Betting on the chocobos? You really are a lot older than you think you are." Yuffie smirked.

"Eh? Who the hell invited you? Scram, kid." Cid muttered.

"Typical response."

Aerith smiled at them. "Don't worry, we're only stopping by to see what you were up to. We won't be stopping by for long."

"You should hang out for a little bit." Tifa looked over at them. "Soon, we're going to be heading over to the Battle Square. Cloud and Zack signed up for some competition in a bit. You should come!"

"Do you know where they are now?"

Tifa thought for a second, "Well, Reno said that he saw them practicing over in the Battle Square. It was only a little while ago. They should still be there."

"Thanks, Tifa." Aerith turned to Yuffie. "Let's go check it out. We'll be seeing you in a bit."

The two began to make their way over to the Battle Square.

"So Aerith, you gonna tell him now?"

Aerith nodded, "Yeah, I think I've waited long enough. He should know. He was my bodyguard. He still sees himself as that, so do I." She sighed, "I can't keep this secret from him any longer. I don't want to."

Yuffie smiled, "Good choice."

Aerith shook her head. "I just hate this. It feels like there's always this...darkness that separates me and Cloud, it could be death, the Shinra, this secret. There's always something barring us, some obstacle that seems impossible to overcome."

"And you know what's funny?" Yuffie smiled at her, "No matter what 'impossible' obstacle comes, you two always find a way through it."

Aerith smiled and nodded. "You're...right. We do." She knew that even with this secret, it was something else that they could overcome together. She felt better about everything now.

They continued walking down a little bit further, before Aerith ran into a familiar face out of the corner of her eye. The man was a bit plump, with a pleasant face and white hairs on his head. "Mr. Virtus?" She recognized the old man. "Mr. Virtus!"

The older man turned around, spotting Aerith. "Aerith? So it is you!" The older, plump man wrapped his arms around Aerith and pulled her into a warm embrace. "You look lovely."

Yuffie looked at the two of them, "You...er, know him?"

Aerith nodded, "Yeah, he helped Zack, Red and I out before we got to Corel. He lives in the stable off of the coast." She turned back to the man, "What are you doing here? You made it all the way here by yourself?" She admired the softness in his eyes, which flashed his age and the struggles that he had been through.

"Yes. I heard news of some outsiders that were met with some trouble in Corel. I knew that it had to be the three of you, so I wanted to make sure that you were all safe."

"Wow." Aerith admired, "You came all the way out here just for us?"

"Of course, it's rare to come across good people like yerselves, I wanted to make sure y'all escaped with yer skins intact! Besides, I had my own business to do with Dio. Which reminds me, you still tryin' to get to the Northern Continent? I heard some pretty bad things happened up there."

Aerith smiled, "Yeah, don't worry, though. I ran into some of my friends that are helping me out."

The older man smiled, "Oh, so you found that man that was important to you?"

Yuffie faced Aerith, a coy smile on her face.

Aerith's cheeks blushed slightly, "Yes, I did."

"Even he knows, Aerith?" Yuffie smiled, shaking her head. "You really aren't as subtle about this as you think you are."

From around the corner of the building, Jenova in a disguised-womanly form, spied on the three. The ancient was so close. 'I could kill her right there. It would be quick and simple.'

Jenova paused for a moment, 'No, that would be easy. Revenge isn't a way of life that is meant to be easy." A childish laugh emitted from the woman. "I want them to suffer. I want to see his face when I kill her again. I want to see her dead body in his arms again. I want to see his world destroyed.' She would bide her time, waiting for the right moment to kill the Cetra, just as she had done before. 'It will be soon. History will repeat itself, but now, there will be no chance for their survival. Their downfall will spell the advent of my victory.' She watched the three, darkly hissing when she saw Mr. Virtus and Aerith exchange another embrace. 'Who is that man? They seem close.' A sickening, sly smile appeared across the woman's face.

"I'm just glad that I was able to see you again." Mr. Virtus pulled back from the embrace. "Sorry that I have to run off so soon, but I can't miss the next railway tram back to Corel. I can't say when we'll meet again, but I hope it will be one day soon."

Aerith smiled and nodded, "Me too." As he began to walk away again, she spoke up. "You know, it's strange. You've been so supportive and caring; I can't help but feel sad about you leaving...which is funny because I barely know you."

The old man smiled, flashing a grin that looked like a young child's. "People come in and out of your lives every day. The ones that make a good difference are the ones you want to keep close, whether you've known them for years or only a few days."

She nodded, understanding the feeling.

Mr. Virtus laughed, "Sorry to give you a lecture, my dear! Once you get to my age, hopefully you'll understand why I'm trying to influence you youngins!" A small smile appeared across his face, his cheeks rosy and red. "Well, if you ever feel like seeing this old man again, look for the single stable off of the coast of the ocean. I'll be there."

"Thank you, Mr. Virtus."

"Well, until we meet again, Aerith." The man began to make his way off, towards the exit of the Gold Saucer.

Yuffie turned to her friend, "Well, he seems...pleasant."

"He is. He's an honorable man. He has such a good spirit."

The two women begin to make their way towards the Battle Square, before coming across Zack.

Zack called out to them, running up to meet them, wiping the sweat from his brow. "Hello, ladies."

Yuffie raised an eyebrow at the man, "I see you've been training for the games. You look like a mess!"

"Thanks." He replied, sarcastically. "Cloud and I have been over there training for a little bit."

Aerith's eyes lit up, "Is Cloud there now?"

Zack nodded, "Yeah, we're both gearing up for that competition later."

"Well, there you have it, Aerith." Yuffie obliged, nudging her, "Go tell him that little secret of yours."

Zack gave Yuffie a questioning look, "So, you know, too?!"

Yuffie nodded, "Uh-huh! She's slowly getting around to telling people. I told her the same thing everyone's gonna tell her. We're right there to help her!"

"Well, at least it's out in the open now." He turned to face Aerith. "Just be easy on Cloud. He's still upset about last night."

Aerith lowered her eyes, feeling disappointed in herself. She felt a heaviness in her chest. "I know. I wanted things to go differently." She began to make her way up the stairs, leading towards the stadium.

Zack called back out to her, "Yeah. I guess he expected things to go differently, too, especially after he found out how you feel about him!"

Aerith stopped in her tracks, slowly turning around to face Zack, her eyebrow raised. "What?" Her face was a mixture of surprise and seriousness.

"I figured he should know." Zack smiled and shrugged, knowing that he was about to receive a mouthful from her.

Aerith approached Zack, her finger pointed towards him. "What did you do!? How could you do that, Zack? Did you not listen to a word I told you?"

Yuffie interrupted, smiling as she watched the scene unfold like some guilty pleasure. "What did he say?"

Aerith stopped suddenly and paused for a moment, her voice lowering, "Yeah... what did he say?'

Zack smiled, "He didn't say anything. He went off to find you. He seemed pretty happy and for Cloud, that's a big thing."

A small grin appeared across the Cetra's lips.

Yuffie turned to her friend, "Well, Aerith? What are you waiting for?"

Aerith turned around and began to make her way up the steps leading inside of the stadium.

When she arrived, she saw Cloud in the middle of the court, practicing some swift combat moves. The room was large, with stacks of bleachers on all sides of the court. The room seemed much bigger to her with only the two of them inside. She began to make her way down the steps, leading towards the center of the arena, unsure if Cloud was aware of her presence. The entire room seemed to grow quieter.

Out of the corner of his eye, Cloud saw a hint of pink moving about and turned his head swiftly to see Aerith there. He averted his gaze for another moment, before continuing to slash his sword through the air.

He had been at it for a couple hours now and was starting to feel how sore he was in his muscles. If he practiced any further, it was doubtful he would get far in the competition. Still, he continued to practice his combo moves, willing himself not to look at the maiden that kept her eyes fixated on him.

Aerith patiently waited until Cloud had placed his sword down next to one of the bleachers. She made her way over to him, as Cloud turned back to her.

"Hey." Her voice was soft and quiet, practically inaudible against the large room.

Cloud lowered his eyes and stared away from her.

She took another step towards him, "I'm sorry for how things happened last night, Cloud. I feel awful about it. I didn't want things to happen like that." She tried to get Cloud to look at him as she continued to talk, but his eyes remained lowered. "I wanted to talk to you."

Cloud continued to avert his gaze.

She took a sit down on one of the bleachers and patted the spot next to her, instructing Cloud to take the seat next to her. He sat down moments later, facing ahead of him, as Aerith continued to speak. "Cloud, there's something I want to tell you. I've kept it to myself ever since I've come back...and I've wanted to tell you." She looked up to still see him facing away from her, closing her eyes. It hurt.

In his mind, Cloud was content that they were talking about what had happened, but inside, he feared what she had to tell him. When he asked Zack, he couldn't respond. He knew it had to be something serious.

'Just tell him.' Aerith looked at Cloud again, "When I had decided to come back and fight Jenova, the Cetra made a prediction of sorts."

Cloud stayed silent, his eyes lowered.

"They said that if I was to pursue this fight with Jenova, I could die again." She bit her lip, watching Cloud's emotionless reaction. "They weren't sure, but their powers surpass many. They can foresee things others can't. They seemed to be pretty sure that it was going to happen."

She looked away from him. "When I came back, I wasn't really sure how to tell you. It would get you all involved with my problems and I didn't want that to happen again."

Cloud continued to remain silent, slightly unnerving Aerith. He still faced away from her.

She wanted Cloud to look at her, to see how serious and apologetic she was, to look into her eyes and see how she felt, but she knew that he could sometimes be just as stubborn as she was.

"I'm sorry. I should have told you sooner, Cloud." She stood up from the bleachers for a moment and let out a sigh, closing her eyes. "I hoped that you'd understand." She turned and started to walk away.

Cloud took hold of her arm, causing her to turn back to him. He looked up at her, sadness and concern flickering in his eyes. A small frown spread across his face.

"But I'm your bodyguard." His voice was low.

"What?" She looked into his hurt eyes.

"I'm your bodyguard, right?" He sounded broken, like something was eating away at his heart.

Aerith looked into his blue eyes, sensing the sadness within them. "Of course, Cloud."

Cloud shook his head, the pain stinging his heart. "Then why couldn't you tell me?"

She sat back down next to him, taking hold of his hands. "I didn't want to hurt you again. I saw how hurt you'd become, you blamed yourself for everything that happened when I died. I wasn't going to let you face all that again."

He turned to her, slight anger in his eyes. "So, what? You would rather not let me know at all?"

Her voice raised, "No, Cloud!"

"You think I would want that?" His voice rose to match hers.

"I never said that!"

"How am I supposed to be a good bodyguard when you don't even tell me things like this!?"

She shook her head. "Cloud, you don't understand."

"No. You don't understand."

She opened her mouth to reply, but she was left speechless.

Cloud shook his head, "Yeah, it might hurt to tell me, but I'm your bodyguard! I'm supposed to protect you when it comes to things like this, Aerith."

She stuttered and looked up at him, tears brimming her eyes. The words he spoke made her feel happy that he thought so highly of her, but also upset with how she was making him feel now.

"I-I'm sorry." She brought her hand up to her cheek, brushing away the tears.

He took hold of Aerith's hand. His tone was calm and soft, "Aerith, I'll never stop fighting to protect you. You're back and I-I won't ever leave you." He brought his fingers up to her cheeks, gently brushing away her tears. "You already left me once. After you walked away from me last night, I knew that I couldn't risk losing you again."

She gave him a small smile. "You'll never really lose me, Cloud. I'll always be there. Right here." She placed her hand over his chest, right over his heart.

He smiled slightly, inching closer to her. He felt nervous, but it felt natural for her to be there. His blue eyes connected with her sparkling emerald green ones. His hands traveled down from her face to her shoulders. He pushed away his nerves and spoke his thoughts, something he'd been wanting to do for a while.

"When you were taken away, I didn't care what happened to the world. I felt lost and alone without you and I hated that. No matter what might come between us, if it's death or darkness or hell, even if we're worlds apart, I know that we will always find a way back to one another somehow."

Aerith inched closer to Cloud, her hands reaching up towards his neck, their bodies pressed up against one another. She sighed, touched by his words, "Cloud..."

He brought his hands down towards her waist, pulling her closer to him. "I love you, Aerith."

She looked up into his eyes, a small smile spreading across her face, as she continued to move forward. "I love you, too."

Their faces moved closer, their eyes closing, until they had pressed their lips against one another's in a soft, slow kiss. Cloud's grip around her waist tightened, as he squeezed her gently. Cloud felt his heart beat increase, enjoying this moment. He could feel her smile into the kiss, as he savored the soft sensation of her lips. He took in her scent, reminding her of the flowers that she always tended. It was magical.

Aerith placed her hands on Cloud's neck, urging him to continue the kiss. She moved her fingers against his neck, trailing along his strong shoulder blades.

Their lips moved against one another, never breaking once. It was exactly what they both had wanted. All that mattered to them in that moment was each other.

Seconds later, they both reluctantly broke away from the kiss, the two standing there. They smiled at each other, staring into one another's eyes.

Aerith spoke first, a wide smile across her face. "I'm glad I was able to tell you how I felt. I didn't get the chance the first time."

"Me too." He brushed a few stray strands of hair behind her ear, as he gently ran his fingers through her long, brown curls, holding her closely to him. "I think it took us long enough." He replied with a laugh.

He pressed her closer against him, as she lightly caressed his neck, resting her head onto his chest, her eyes closed.

She brought her hands down to his waist, squeezing him gently. "You know, since you're still my bodyguard, I guess I should start looking for ways to repay you."

He smiled down at her and rolled his eyes. "Oh, I'm sure you can think of something."

She quickly captured his lips in another quick kiss, causing his eyes to widen before they closed again to enjoy the kiss.

He pulled back away from her, looking into her eyes, a small smile across his lips. "I won't let anything happen to you again. I was given another chance to be with you. I won't let that be in vain."

He realized that his outpour of feelings were absolutely uncharacteristic of him, but after the many years of rejection, the months he'd spent lost after Aerith's death, the time he spent longing to see her again, he was not willing to let this opportunity slip between his fingers.

She was what he cherished most. She was his light, a symbol of everything important to him.

He smiled at her, "I want to be the one to keep you safe, always. I'm your bodyguard."

She smiled, "Well bodyguard, we'll find a way to get through this and we'll do it together." She took hold of his hands. "Don't worry about anything else now. We're here together."

They were interrupted by the sounds of approaching visitors coming for the competition. People began to fill the bleachers.

Aerith looked around and let out a sigh, not wanting to part with Cloud just yet, "Well, looks like the competition's going to be starting soon. You should start getting ready. If the two of us continued to keep this up in here, who knows what could've happened! Dio would have probably called security on us." She joked, giving him a flirtatious wink.

He chuckled slightly. "You're staying for the competition though, right?"

She smiled and nodded happily, "Yep. There's no way I'd miss out watching you!"

He returned the smile, "Good. Just making sure that when my round starts, I'll have someone to show off for." He gave her a cocky grin, tilting his head to the side.

She let out a small laugh, "Oh, I see how it is!" She looked up towards the stadium entrance as the crowds poured through. "I'd better go meet up with the others. This place will get crowded quick. Look for me in the crowd."

He nodded, a small smirk on his face, "Don't worry, I'll find you."

"Good. I'll stay here and I'll cheer for you. Ok, Cloud?"

He nodded, "Ok. I'll see you in a bit. Wish me luck."

Aerith turned and started to make her way up the steps. She turned back to see Cloud beginning to slash through the air with his sword again. He noticed her then and gave her a small smirk, before continuing to cut through the air.

She smiled. 'What a show off.' She turned and made her way out of the arena. She felt lighter. She told Cloud everything and he was still there for her. Though many thing had happened between them, there was nothing that could separate them. Not even death would keep them apart.

When she emerged from the stadium, she saw her friends waiting outside, amidst the roaring crowds waiting to see the annual Gold Saucer tournament. She saw Zack and Yuffie and Tifa along with Reno, among a few other of their friends. There was one familiar face that she did not expect to see.

"Bugenhagen?" She recognized the elderly man who stood beside his grandson. She always remembered him to be a font of wisdom about the planet, the Lifestream and the forces of the world. She respected him as a wise elder.

"Ho hooo hoooo! It is good to see you again." The man let out a small smile, adjusting the dark glasses that covered his eyes.

"What are you doing here?" Aerith questioned the man.

Red stepped forward, "Grandfather...he's fallen ill. He wanted us to help him, if that's alright."

Aerith frowned, "I'm so sorry, Bugenhagen. I wouldn't have guessed. You look as lively as ever."

"Ho hoooo, I appreciate the compliment, my dear, but if I only felt as sprightful in my soul." He shook his head, before addressing Aerith. "Have you ever heard of a powerful carnation by the name of the Naosu Blossom?"

She pondered for a moment. "No, I've never heard of it. What is it?"

"It is an extremely rare, powerful flower, capable of healing wounds, disease, incurable ailments of the sort. A blossom with such great power that has been nearly wiped from existence."

"And you think that it can save you?"

Red nodded, "Grandfather believes so. I know that we might be asking for a lot, but-"

Aerith cut him off, petting the wolverine's head. "Red, stop. Of course, we'd help the two of you."

Tifa nodded, "We haven't exactly told Cloud or the others yet, but I'm sure they'd understand. We're not doing much here anyway, so why not lend a helping hand to our friend? Of course we'd help."

From inside the stadium, the crowds began to roar. The games must be starting soon, as people hastily made their way up the steps inside.

Reno glanced over, "Hey guys, the tournaments starting soon! We'd better get in there before they close the doors." He began to make their way over, leading Tifa along with him. Yuffie and Zack followed closely behind.

Bugenhagen turned to Aerith and bowed his head. "Thank you. I realize that you must have many important matters to foresee on this planet."

Aerith nodded, "Yes, I do. My journey is going to take me back to the Forgotten City, my race's homeland. I have to get back a very important possession of mine, something that can be used to stop Jenova's threat."

Bugenhagen nodded, "Yes. It is because you are so willing to help this poor man and save the planet that I am forever grateful to you and your friends."

Aerith smiled, "If we can forestall Jenova's destruction long enough, keep her powers at bay...if we can find that flower in time, we can save you, Bugenhagen."

* * *

Mr. Virtus made his way down the mountainous trail leading from Corel. Dusk was starting to settle in, as the vibrant colors of the Gold Saucer loomed off beyond the desert in the distance.

He continued back up the mountain, heading back towards his stable off of the coast. A single lantern flickered in his hand, illuminating his surroundings that had started to dim when the sun began to set. The heaviness of the cargo on his back had started to wear at him, his exhaustion catching up to him. It was then that he thought that it would have been a possibly better idea to stay the night at the Gold Saucer and continue his journey home in the morning.

He heard a noise behind him; the sound of boots trekking down the mountainside. He turned around to look for the source of the sound. He saw a young woman in a pink dress, her long brown hair trailing down her back. "Aerith? Is that you?"

The young woman approached him and stood just a few feet before him.

He took a few steps closer to her and noticed the smile on her face. "Aerith, are you alright? I didn't think I'd see you so soon!"

She nodded, her green eyes flickering, illuminated by the light of his lantern.

He smiled at her, "What are you doing here? I thought you were staying at the Gold Saucer."

She stood there.

He stumbled forward a little, uncertain of the woman's unusual behavior. "...Aerith?"

She brought her hand up to his throat, gripping tightly around his neck. Mr. Virtus choked, unable to breath. She only tightened her grip on his neck, watching as the color slowly drained from the man's face. Her face was emotionless, while she strangled the man. Her arm morphed into a blood-red limb, which continued to squeeze the life out of the old man, who gasped for breath.

Her face changed, transforming into the grotesque, ugly features of what Mr. Virtus could only describe as some hideous creature. He continued to try and catch his breath, but the limb around his neck cut off his circulation. His eyes dilated and his vision began to blur.

Jenova let out a hiss, strangling the old man. "That girl will die. The White Materia won't be enough to save her. When I've killed her, I'll pry it from her cold, dead hands and this world will be mine to destroy. When I am finished, it won't be just this world I've destroyed, but her entire legacy."

The man struggled to breathe, his cries for help being drowned out. With that, Jenova twisted her limb, as a sickening crack was heard, snapping the man's neck. She threw his lifeless body to the ground. "I will destroy everything and everyone she holds dear. I will destroy her life and this entire, wretched planet if it is the last thing I do."

* * *

The crowds roared as the contestants entered into the stadium. The games were about to begin, as excitement filled the air. Dio stood in the center of the arena, welcoming in the contestants as they entered.

From the bleachers, Aerith, Tifa, and Yuffie cheered when they saw Cloud and Zack enter into the competition. A row behind them, Barret, Cid and Shera sat, cheering on the competitors. Reno sat down next to Tifa and wrapped her arm around her. From the corner of the stadium, Bugenhagen and Red watched down at the excited fans that flooded the arena.

They watched as Cloud and Zack entered into the area along with the other contestants. The roar of the crowds only grew louder.

Yuffie turned to him, "So, why didn't you sign up for the games, Reno?"

"Eh, it's not really my type of thing."

She smiled smugly, "Oh, so you're just afraid of getting whooped?"

"Please, I could take down have the pinheads in this competition, maybe not Cloud or Zack, but a lot of them!"

Tifa smiled at him, leaning her head on his shoulder. "It doesn't matter. I'm glad that we're watching together." She turned to him. "Though, you're right. You probably would have been beaten by those two!"

Reno rolled his eyes, "Come on, enough alrea-...WHAT?"

He stopped when he saw Rude and Elena enter into the arena. "Those dumbasses! They seriously entered without even telling me!?"

Yuffie laughed, "You know Reno, for the "leader" of the Turks, they like to leave you out of everything..."

Tifa smiled at him, "I think it's a sign, Reno. Your Turk days are over."

Reno closed his eyes and shook his head, defeated. "I knooow..."

The stadium cheers hushed when Dio took hold of a microphone, commanding the attention of the many onlookers. In the center of the arena, there seemed to be about a dozen contestants.

"Hello, folks and welcome to the first annual Gold Saucer Cup! Today, combatants from all over the world are here to test their skill and bravery in battle! No weapons, no special powers involved, just basic combat used to obstruct the paths of your components! I'm expecting a fair fight out of all of you today!"

He continued to instruct, "The winner of each round will proceed to the next bracket of competitors, until a winner is decided!" He looked down at a scroll with the list of contestants on it. "The first round is between Zack and Elena! May the best combatant win!"

The other competitors left the arena, leaving Zack and Elena in the square. Cheers filled the arena as the round began.

"Come on, Zack. You're not going to let a girl beat you, are you?" Elena taunted, remaining a keep distance away from Zack.

Zack grunted and lunged toward the girl, who skillfully jumped out of the way.

"Hm. It looks like you are."

The crowd watched intensely as the first round continued.

After a few more moments, Zack quickly got the upper hand in the battle, knocking Elena down to the floor several times. By the time Elena had a chance to recuperate, Zack was already there to push her back down. Elena quickly realized that she was neither fit nor strong enough to keep up with Zack's persistence. Her exhaustion soon caught up with her. She knew that she wouldn't last much longer.

A few seconds later, Elena let out a grunt and fell backwards, defeated.

"Zack Fair is the winner!" The crowds cheered and applauded.

Zack approached Elena, helping her off of the floor. "It was a good match."

Elena rolled her eyes, playfully punching the man in the arm. "Yeah, yeah. Whatever. But don't think it'll be so easy next time!" She let out a sigh and made her way out of the arena, disappointed at her defeat.

From the top of the arena, Jenova stared down onto the scene. As Cloud was called into the arena for the next round, she watched as many fans and women alike cheered throughout the stadium. A devilish grin appeared across her face, 'Hm. This could be fun.'

Cloud entered into the arena, feeling nervous when he noticed all of the eyes glaring down onto him. Spotlights shone down onto him, as he tried to cover his eyes from the intense beams. Loud cheers and screams filled the arena. It was a reaction that he never would have expected coming from these people.

Aerith noticed the amount of cheers coming from the women in the arena. Just a few rows before her, she overheard a few women talking about how attractive and handsome he looked. She felt a twinge of jealousy rise within her, but who was she kidding? She knew how attractive he was. His beautiful eyes, his toned physique, his unusual spiky hair which caught everyone's attention; he was one of the most attractive people she had ever seen. It was no surprise to her that his entrance received the reaction that it did.

He scanned the bleachers and spotted Aerith calling out to him. He gave her a small smile. She subtly blew him a kiss, which caused him to lower his head in an attempt to hide the blush that appeared across his face, as he quickly paced his way towards the arena. Cloud turned to face his opponent, who looked rather meek and unprepared compared to him. 'Hm. Easy match.'

The round commenced and went just as he had anticipated it. His opponent was hardly a match for him. Cloud himself could even admit that he was going easy on his opponent throughout the duration of his match. During the match, Cloud looked out into the crowd and saw the crowd's dull expression over the boring match. They already knew that Cloud would win and just wished that the other guy would give up already. Cloud decided to liven up the round when he started to perform some impressive combat moves, ones that his opponent could not even anticipate.

"Whoa!" The crowd cheered and applauded.

Yuffie leaned into Aerith. "I think he's trying a little too hard to show off, don't you think?"

Aerith smiled and continued to cheer, "It works for him, though."

Cloud was announced the winner of the round moments later when his competitor simply could not keep up with him.

The next string of rounds went accordingly, as each competitor made their way into the arena. The next bracket of the tournament was formed, as more competitors managed to win their rounds, while others had been eliminated.

Once the first set of battles was completed, Dio entered into the arena. "Alright, folks! Good first rounds, but the battle doesn't stop here! It's come down to six of you vying to be the winner of the Gold Saucer Cup! We begin the next rounds immediately! Next up, Cloud vs. Zack!"

The crowds roared as the two entered into the arena. "This is the fight you've all been waiting for!"

Cloud smirked, "So, it's come down to this?"

Zack shrugged and smiled, "Indeed, it has. Don't think I'm gonna go easy on you."

"Same here."

"I want to see what my living legacy has learned..."

"Hm."

It was then when a loud rumble was heard. It was something powerful enough to shake the arena floor. The onlookers stopped their cheering and looked about. In a matter of moments, the arena fell silent, as another loud rumble was heard. The onlookers scanned the arena, wondering what could be the source of the noise.

It was then when a large beast, a chimera of sorts, burst through one of the walls of the arena, sending crumbling stone down with it. The creature was unlike anything that had ever been seen. It was unusual, but fierce and aggressive. Everyone's eyes went wide in the arena, as they quickly stammered about when the creature let out a great roar.

"Whoa..." Yuffie muttered.

"What the hell is that?" Reno answered, his eyes widening in shock.

The creature stomped down towards the arena, trampling and pushing people out of its way. The onlookers quickly began to clear out, clearing a path for the creature, not wanting to cross its path. People quickly started pushing one another, edging people to move faster out of the arena. They began trampling over one another, as people rudely pushed and shoved to get ahead of people, to get to safety, to get anywhere out of the arena. Bodies pushed and pulled against one another, as a riot of sorts broke out. People screeched at the top of their lungs to move and get out.

The creature stomped down towards Cloud and Zack in the center of the ring.

"I'm fighting." Cloud stated, simply.

Zack stammered back, "And uh...what exactly do you...want me to do?"

Cloud turned to him and pointed towards the contestant holding area. "You can stay and fight if you want, but for now, get my sword."

"Well, technically it's MY sword."

Cloud replied, "Right. Get MY sword."

Zack rolled his eyes, running towards the holding area to obtain the Buster Sword.

Up at the top of the arena, people continued to shove and trample over one another.

Barret shouted over the loud screams, "Cid, come on! We gotta get Shera outta here!"

Shera clutched her pregnant stomach, looking at her husband, concern in her eyes.

Cid grunted and growled, "Damn it! Come on, Barret. Let's get the fuck outta here!" The two of them grasped Shera's hand and quickly made their way out of the bleacher. The two men pushed the many people out of their way, attempting to get the pregnant woman to safety. "Come on. You can do it, babe." Cid looked over at Shera.

Barret turned back to their friends, getting lost amongst the crowd of people. "What about you guys?!"

Tifa screamed over the cries, "Don't worry about us!"

"Just get her out!" Aerith concluded. The men and Shera continued their pursuit up to the top of the arena.

Reno nudged Tifa, grasping her hand. "Come on. Let's go!"

Tifa pulled back from him. "I can't leave, not when Cloud and Zack could be in trouble!"

"Tifa, come on! There's no time to argue about this. Don't be stupid! Let's go!" Reno desperately tried to plead with Tifa, trying to persuade her to listen to him.

Tifa stood there for a moment, a determined glint in her eyes. She turned around and ran down the arena stairs towards the monster.

"Tifa! TIFA!" Reno called out behind her.

Aerith chased after her friend. "Tifa, wait! Stop!"

Tifa turned around to meet her gaze, "Aerith, come on. There's no time to fool around here! Get out now! If something happened to you now, Cloud would have a fit! Please!"

Aerith shook her head, "No, Tifa!"

Tifa shouted over the loud screams, "Why are you being so difficult!?"

"Because you're my friend." She stated, simply. "If you're fighting...then I'm fighting, too!"

Tifa smiled and nodded, "Let's go then!"

"I hope you have room for three!" Yuffie cheered, "It's time for the girls to kick some butt! Let's do it with style, ladies!"

Reno stood, jaw-dropped as he watched the three women run towards the arena, in the opposite direction of all of the other people. Reno clenched his fist and let out a frustrated grunt, "Son of a bitch!" He trailed after the three women.

Zack tossed the sword to Cloud, who caught it just in time to fend off an attack from the creature. With his strength, he reared back for a moment, before swiping his sword down at the monster. The monster was too quick and avoided the attack.

From across the arena, a shuriken flew towards the monster, landing in the cushioned base of the arena. "Hiyyaaaaaaa! Leave some for me!" Yuffie bounced into the arena.

Tifa lunged forward, her fists flying towards the monster. The creature dodged out of the way of Tifa's fists, but was met with an unexpected assault when Tifa swung her leg around to kick the monster's back at the end of her combo move. The monster flew a few feet forward.

From out of the corner of his eye, Cloud saw Aerith trail down the steps of the arena. He turned quickly, "Aerith! No!"

His yell caught the distraction of the monster, which turned to face Aerith. The monster let out a roar and lunged towards the woman. Aerith took a quick intake of breath before she leapt out of the way. The monster crashed into the bleachers, severing them from their base. Aerith fell to the floor.

When she recuperated, she raised her hand to her forehead, noticing the crimson liquid that stained her hand from the cut she had just received. The loud roar from the monster echoed throughout the arena, which quickly began to prowl back down the bleachers. Aerith shook her head and wiped the blood away. 'No time for that.'

She ran down towards the arena, where Cloud ran up to her, wrapping his arms around her. "Aerith, are you stupid!? You could have gotten seriously hurt! Why couldn't you leave?"

"You're my bodyguard." She smiled, releasing him from the embrace. "If you're there to protect me, I'm doing the same for you!" She made her way off towards the others.

Cloud stood there for a moment, a small smile across his face. He quickly made his way after her, towards the monster.

Tifa lunged at the monster, dealing it a powerful blow to the face. Thick, red blood began to drip from its' mouth. The infuriated monster lunged at Tifa, knocking the woman back a few feet.

"Tifa!" Aerith called out to her friend. In that instant, she clasped her hands together and lowered her head. Moments later, a grin mist began to sparkle over Tifa, who was starting to feel considerably better.

Tifa got to her feet and gave Aerith a small nod.

Yuffie burst forth, throwing her shuriken into the creature's back producing a deep wound. The young ninja leapt onto the monster, pulling out her weapon, before doing a black flip, kicking off the monster's back and landing onto one of the arena's bleachers.

Reno ran along the bleachers of the stadium, running into Zack. "What the hell are we supposed to do?"

Zack shrugged nervously, anticipation rising. "I don't know! How the hell does a creature like that even get into a place like this!? It couldn't have just snuck in! Do we just leave this battle to the women?"

"And Cloud." Reno added. "Well, he did dress up like a woman once, so I guess it counts."

Zack lowered his head and sighed. Leave it to Reno to make a joke at a time like this. The two were interrupted when the monster caught the two off guard. The two men flinched backwards at the approaching monster.

Aerith ran before the two men, extending out her hand towards the monster. She closed her eyes and concentrated with all her power. Just as the monster was about to bring its' claw down onto the three, Aerith produced a shield before them. When the monster's claw connected with the shield, a powerful surge protruded, causing the monster to flinch back.

Aerith stood there for a moment. 'This strength...it's so...powerful. What is this?' Her thoughts were interrupted when the creature let out a roar. She grasped Reno and Zack by the arm, tugging them along with her. "Come on, let's go!" The three ran along the bleachers on the perimeter of the arena, the monster prowling closely behind, leaving the bleachers a destructive mess behind them.

They continued to run from the being until they passed Cloud. Cloud smirked at the approaching monster. 'No you don't.' Just as the three passed him, he intercepted the monster, jumping up into the air, his blade raised, as he brought his sword down onto the monster's arm, severing it from its' body. The monster let out a fierce, pained roar. It looked down at Cloud, who had made his way down back into the arena. The monster prowled after the soldier.

Aerith ran up to meet Cloud, watching as the monster trailed closer and closer to them. Cloud placed an arm around Aerith's waist, his other arm extended forward, pointing his sword towards the creature. She thought to herself, 'This power. It worked before...maybe it can again?'

Aerith stepped forward closer to the monster. Cloud gripped onto her tighter. "Aerith, what are you doing?!"

She remained silent, closing her eyes and focusing on this deep energy, this foreign power found somewhere within her soul. She searched desperately for it, their lives on the line. It was then when she felt it, a wave of energy that passed through her entire body. It was a familiar, powerful feeling.

She felt an impulse burst from within her, a ray of golden, sparkling light, which caused Cloud to take a few steps back. The others located throughout the arena became entranced with what was happening.

Just like before, a blast of light, green energy protruded from Aerith's fingers, blasting towards the monster. The air around her sparkled and shimmered. It looked like the Lifestream was emanating from her body. Aerith's hands shook from the mere strength of the attack, as she tried to control its' power.

Zack recognized the mysterious power from the first time he had seen her do it.

The monster reeled back and writhed from the force of the power. Whatever Aerith was doing, it was working. The monster let out another loud screech, as the attack began to eat away at it. The monster could no longer take this powerful strength anymore and stormed up towards the bleachers, ravaging forward, exiting the arena through the large crevasse that it had created. From outside of the arena, the group could hear several screams from the Gold Saucer visitors. The roars of the creature were soon distinguished.

Whatever this creature was, this powerful being, it was gone in an instant.

They all met back in the center of the arena, looking at the devastated stadium. This creature had been immensely powerful.

The sparkling aura surrounding Aerith had faded, leaving the woman to catch her breath. Thoughts raced through her mind, most of them having to do with this strange power that would overcome her. She had curative powers ever since she was young, but this power was something different entirely.

Cloud walked over to Aerith, taking in the confused expression on her face. "Hey. Are you ok?"

She stood there, her breath catching up to her. "I...I..." She looked up into his eyes, before her eyelids lowered. She fell forward into his arms.

Cloud instantly caught her, holding her in his arms, fear overtaking him. "Aerith! Aerith, are you ok!? Please, not again!" He gently shook her body.

Zack walked up to him, placing a hand on her shoulder. "Cloud, relax. She's breathing just fine." He let out a sigh. "This was the same reaction she had the last time she used this power of hers. She just needs to rest."

Cloud looked down at Aerith. She looked so peaceful, like an angel in his arms. He let out a sigh of relief, knowing that she would be okay. He brushed her bangs away from her face, examining the wound on her forehead. He lifted her up into his arms, starting to make his way out of arena.

Yuffie trailed behind him. "That power of hers, it's strong."

Tifa nodded, "What is it?"

Zack shook his head, unsure of what to say. "I don't know. I'm not even sure if she knows."

They emerged from the fallen stadium and saw the others standing outside. Ahead of him, Cloud saw Cid, Shera and Barret, along with a few of the Turks. Bugenhagen and Nanaki were also amongst the crowd of people.

Tifa approached Cid and Shera. "Are you alright? Is the baby ok?"

Shera nodded and patted her stomach. "Yes, the baby's fine. We all are. What about you? What happened to Aerith?"

"She's going to need her rest." Cloud stated, "She has some power that seems to drain the energy out of her. Let's get her to a bed."

Bugenhagen made his way up to him, examining the young woman. "You say this is a recurring effect this power has on her?"

Cloud and Zack nodded. "Do you know what it is?"

Bugenhagen examined Aerith, placing a hand to her forehead. He closed his eyes and concentrated, as if listening for something. By the look of it, he appeared to be doing far more than just taking her temperature. "Hm. Strange. I'll need a better analysis when she is awake. There is something unusual about this..."

Cloud nodded, "She is an Ancient."

"No, it's something more than that. For right now, she'll need her rest."

Dio appeared out of the crowd of people, approaching the familiar faces that he recognized. "Hey, hey! Are you guys alright!? What an absolute mess. My apologies for everything that happened. This sort of stuff doesn't belong in the Gold Saucer."

"You can say that again." Reno grunted, "What the hell was a creature like that doing in a place like this to begin with? How the hell did it even make it in here, either!?"

Dio shook his head, unsure of the answer. "I can't say for sure. The security throughout the entire resort is top notch. I've never seen anything like that here. I specifically designed the Gold Saucer as a place where people can escape all those outside troubles." He pondered for a moment. "We do keep some creatures in the Battle Square barracks for some of the events, but this...was something different. We would never allow a creature like that to prowl about!"

Yuffie asked, "What about the competition? I doubt many people would want to play after that."

Dio nodded, "Yes, unfortunately the remainder of the tournament will have to be cancelled. We're going to have to start the reconstruction of the stadium as soon as possible. If there are any proceeds to offer, or if you'd simply like to give a helping hand, it would be greatly appreciated." He smiled, "It was a small setback, but we'll recover. Next year, the competition will be better than ever!"

Cloud turned to the man, holding Aerith's sleeping figure in his arms. "Do you think you could help us with her?"

Dio smiled and nodded, "Of course. You folks are some of my most valued guests. I'm more than willing to help you guys out. Come on, Cloud. I'll go get you a room."

Cloud followed Dio off towards one of the resorts.

Reno sighed and smiled, "Well, this was certainly eventful."

Tifa followed behind him. "I wonder what that creature was..."

"It was so powerful." Yuffie agreed.

"Well, the good news is that the monster is gone."

Yuffie nodded, "Right. We can focus on helping Bugenhagen now. Hopefully, we won't have to run into a creature like that again." She added with a small smile.

From around the corner of the lobby, Jenova overheard their conversation, spying on the group. "Oh, you will." Jenova's arm that she had lost in the previous battle began to rejuvenate. The limb was replaced, as good as new.

"You absolutely will."

* * *

Night had fallen over the Gold Saucer.

Aerith turned slightly, enjoying the comfortable feeling of the soft mattress beneath her. The comfort of the large pillow, the linen blankets, the warmth she had felt, it was just was she needed. "Mmm..." She let out a quiet moan, as she fell into a state half-way between consciousness and deep sleep.

She felt something soft and warm brush over her forehead. It felt good.

Her eyelids lazily opened, as she looked around the room. It was a hotel room, but not the one she stayed in the previous night. She was resting in the single bed in the room. To her right, she saw Cloud above her, brushing a warm, wet cloth against her brow.

He gave her a small smile. "Hey. You're up." His voice was soft and calm, almost like a whisper. "How are you feeling?" He continued to gently massage her forehead with his fingers. It felt good and relaxing to her.

Her head felt heavy, though Cloud's gentle ministrations were making her feel better. "My head hurts a lot." She looked around the room for a clock. "Mmm, what time is it?"

"Just after eleven. You've been sleeping for a couple hours now." He placed the cloth in a small bowl of warm water on the bedside table. "You passed out again. You really scared me."

"I'm sorry." She bit her lip, looking at him at with concern, "Are you hurt?"

He chuckled to himself, "Always thinking of others, are you? I'm fine. We all are, thank to you." He gently rubbed his hand down her cheek. "That monster's gone. The stadium isn't in good shape, but Dio's ready to fix it. No real harm done."

"That's good."

Cloud nodded, "You really shook us up, you know. Dio went and immediately got you this room after the battle.

He continued, "Bugenhagen also wants to take a look at you when you're a bit better. He says there's something unusual about this power you have. He thinks it might be the reason why you keep having these serious reactions. We'll go see him in the morning."

Aerith agreed. "Speaking of Bugenhagen, did he tell you about-"

"Shh, I know. We're going to be helping him and Red in the morning. Cid's already starting to prepare the Highwind." He ran his fingers through her hair, giving her a small smile. "Just try and get some sleep now, ok?"

Aerith looked at him, concerned. She grasped for his hand, not wanting him to leave her. "Stay with me tonight?"

Cloud felt his heart pound. 'What the hell are you so nervous about, Cloud?' He thought to himself, 'You already told her that you love her, so keep your mouth shut and do what she says!'

He looked over the beautiful, flower girl staring at him through hazy, sleepy eyes. "Ok." He got up and began to head over to the desk, grabbing the chair and bringing it over.

She rolled her eyes and smiled. "No, silly. You'll be sleeping over here." She pointed towards the bed.

Cloud nodded, feeling his heart in his chest. "Ohh, you want me to sleep with you...I mean, not like that! In the bed!" His voice cracked, as he quickly tried to compensate for the foolish things he was saying. He sighed, embarrassed, closing his eyes.

She let out a small giggle and thought to herself, 'Hmm, I wonder if he's ever done anything like this before.' She already knew the answer when she thought about Cloud's shy, quiet nature. It was something that she loved about him. Even now, after she knew how he felt about her, there was still a shyness that he had around her.

She lifted up the bed sheets and patted the area next to her. Cloud walked over towards the bed and got in, shuffling underneath the blankets, resting his head down on the pillow.

Aerith turned to face him. She swore that she could feel his heart beat out of his body. She smiled at him and leaned forward, placing a soft kiss against his cheek. She grasped his hand in an attempt to make him relax. It seemed to be working. "Shh, it's alright."

He smiled at her, taking in the beautiful, delicate features of her face. "Try and get some sleep." He whispered in a quiet, hushed voice, his breath tickling her neck.

He wrapped his strong arm around her small waist, pulling her closer to him, their bodies pressed against one another. He held her there comfortably, admiring her soft features. She was beautiful.

She smiled into the fabric of his vest, folding her arms together against his body. She rested her head into the nape of his neck, lightly running her hand against his chest.

"Goodnight, Cloud."

"Night, Aerith."

She cuddled closer into him, leaning her head down onto his chest. Sleep soon came to take them, a small smile on both of their lips.

* * *

Cid made his way towards the lot on the outskirts of the Gold Saucer Resort, where the Highwind had been parked. He was followed by Shera, Bugenhagen and Red, Yuffie and Barrett, who had decided to tag along.

Cid grunted through his frustration, "I can't believe y'all are settin' us up to go on some damn wild goose chase! Haven't we had enough fuckin' trouble for one day?! Now, I gotta assemble my crew, make sure this hunk of junk thing is working, do all this stupid shit to find a flower. A fuckin' flower?!"

Sher tried to console him, "Calm down, Cid."

Bugenhagen scolded him, "Now, now. No such language should be used in front of my grandson! Hoo hooo hoooo! You could benefit from some self-restraint, Cid."

Red sighed, "Grandfather, I'm not a child. I can handle it."

"You know, Bugenhagen. I'm really starting to like you." Yuffie smiled at him. "The way you dig into Cid is pure entertainment! We should keep you around."

Red interrupted, "Well, if we can find that flower, we'll be able to do just that."

Cid sighed in frustration, "EXACTLY! All this shit for some flower, what the hell's the point!?"

Barret smiled, "A useless flower to you, but a shiny flower of hope to Bugenhagen! Get with it, man! Stop your damn complaining and let's get goin' fool!"

Cid rolled his eyes, placing a small cigarette in the corner of his mouth. "You know, if we really wanted to get this shit done good, we coulda used the Shera. That ship's a beauty. Soars through the sky faster than anything." He smiled at the thoughts of his newer ship, it was his pride and joy. "And the missiles on that thing, if we had that during out fight with Weapon, those creatures woulda been done for, heh heh!"

Yuffie sighed, "Yeah, yeah. So fascinating, gramps. You left the ship in Rocket Town and it was there when you left, it's there right now and it will be there when you get back, so can you please stop talking about your stupid ship as if you were getting married to it! You have an actual pregnant wife right here!" Her voice sounded annoyed, as she pointed to Shera.

Cid shook his head and clutched his fist. "Damn, brat. I can't wait til I kick you out of my fuckin' house when we get back."

Yuffie laughed, "Yeah, I'll be better off that way."

Shera took hold of Cid's arms. "Cid, let it go. Come on."

Cid sighed and worked on calming his temper. He turned to face Bugenhagen, "So old man, where are we headed to find you this damn flower?"

Bugenhagen straightened, "The place is not easy to get to. It is the home of one of our ally's, but they have long since abandoned their homeland in pursuit of escaping their destined life."

The group looked at one another for a moment, confused.

Cid was growing tired by the minute. "No damn riddles. please! Can you just tell us where we can find this damn flower!?"

Bugenhagen nodded, "Indeed. We will find this flower along the great summits."

"The highest mountain peaks of Wutai!"

Yuffie's eyes widened in absolute disapproval.

* * *

I'm making this small disclaimer a day after updating the story. I love the amounts of reviews this story is getting. I wish some more people would review. Regardless, I hope you're enjoying the story!

Thanks for reading guys! This story is quickly turning into a novel! I hope the chapters aren't too long. Next chapter shouldn't be too long. It's going to be a smaller chapter because there's a lot coming in Chapters 14 and 15.

So, Cloud and Aerith are finally together. Thank god, I didn't want to instantpair it the two together right off the bat, but I didn't think it would take 12 chapters! One of the recurring themes that I love between the two is that of how they are always looking to find or another, mainly from Cloud searching for Aerith. In FFVII and FFVIIAC, he's searching to find her in the Promised Land, he searches for her in KH, there's references in Dissidia, even in Street Special, Cloud is shown to be chasing after Aerith. This was a theme that I really wanted to address with the story, that no matter what, whether its death or darkness or separate worlds, whatever the circumstances are, Cloud and Aerith always find a way back to one another and nothing can separate them forever.

Also, coming down the line, Yuffie and Red are going to shine for a bit. There'll also be some good moments for Cloud, Aerith, Cid and Vincent. Plus, Jenova is only just starting down a destruct destruction. Definitesticky tuned to see how it all unfolds!


	13. Empress

**Chapter 13 - Empress**

Cloud stirred from his sleep, raising a hand to rub his tired eyes. His eyes adjusted from the bright streams of light that were peeking through the window curtains of the hotel room. He smiled when he felt a hand lightly clasp onto his vest.

He looked down to see Aerith sleeping peacefully. His arm was wrapped around her waist, holding her closely to his body. Her head rested in the nape of his neck, as he felt each warm breath she exhaled against his skin. Her hair flowed freely down her back, spreading across the pillow they shared. He took in the beautiful features of her face, her face radiant against the sun's light.

'I shouldn't be doing this. I should get up.'

When he tried to move out from underneath her, she let out a small moan of protest and tightened her grip on his shirt. She muttered something under her breath, as the disturbance of her sleep perplexed her. She settled down and nuzzled closer into his chest, letting out a small mewl of satisfaction. He smiled down at her, gently running his hand through her brown, silky hair.

'Just a little while longer...'

He knew that they would be leaving soon and that they should start getting ready, but he was far too comfortable. He looked back down at the flower girl and smiled in content. He let his eyelids lower again, as he continued to trace his hands through Aerith's hair and down her back, loving the gentle softness of her skin.

Cloud knew that if he kept this up, he wouldn't be able to get out of bed at all. He was completely content with that idea.

* * *

Another hour or so passed before Aerith gently opened her eyes, glancing around the room for a moment before she realized that she was actually awake. She had felt better than the previous night, though the cut on her forehead still managed to sting slightly.

She smiled, feeling Cloud's strong hold around her waist. She felt so secure and protected in his arms, like nothing would be able to hurt her. She tilted her head to the side and saw the clock. It was just after nine. She knew that they all had another long day ahead of them and their Gold Saucer vacation would unfortunately have to be cut short.

Aerith shifted slightly causing Cloud to stir. He opened his eyes slightly, taking a quick glance down into the emerald eyes that stared up at him.

She smiled, "Good morning."

He closed his eyes and let out a yawn, "Goodnight." He rested his head back down into the pillow.

She protested, "Oh, no you don't." She playfully nudged him, whispering, "We have to get up. We have a long day ahead of us."

He groaned, rubbing his face. He heard Aerith laugh when she saw that his usually spiky hair was now flattened from his previous night's sleep. He could only roll his eyes and let out a sigh.

She grasped his arms in her hands, "Did you sleep well last night?"

He gave her a small nod, staring at her through tired eyes. "Mhm. I was out cold all night. How about you? You look better after what happened yesterday. I think you must've slept off the last of it."

She smiled, "Yeah, I think I did. I feel better than last night."

"Which reminds me, we should go talk to Bugenhagen about what's been going on with you. Maybe he knows something about what's been going on with you."

She nodded and let out a grin, sitting up, "Exactly, which is why we have to get up."

"Mmm, five more minutes..." He whined, flashing a sad expression. "Please, Aerith."

"Nope. We're already late as it is. Everyone else is probably packed already." She smiled, getting up out of the bed and pulling the blankets off of Cloud. He let out a groan when she took him by the arm and began pulling him from the bed. He knew that she could not physically get him out of the bed, but he was far too amused to at least see her try.

After a few more moments of this struggle, Cloud sat up from the bed, a tired smile across his face.

She leaned in closer to him and whispered, "You know, for such a strong bodyguard, you certainly do like to cuddle."

Cloud's eyes widened.

She let out a laugh, which she tried to cover with her hand. "Don't worry, I'll keep that little secret between us." She took his hand and pulled him to his feet, helping him out of the bed. She gently pushed him towards the bathroom. "I'll start packing up my things so we can head out as soon as possible. You should head into the shower."

Cloud nodded and pushed the bathroom door open.

Aerith stood in the opposite room, "Oh, and Cloud." He looked back at her, "If you have the same trouble taking a shower that you do with getting out of bed in the morning, just let me know and I'll come help you out." She gave him a wink, before closing the door.

After she had left him alone in the bathroom, his mouth dropped when he imagined Aerith's suggestion. A wide grin spread across his face.

'Oh, man...'

* * *

Soon after, the group had re-collected at the base of the Highwind just on the outskirts of the Gold Saucer. It was the first time that the entire group had been back together again since days beforehand. With their belongings in tow, the group made their way up towards the deck of the Highwind.

"I don't care what you guys are doing; you're not making me go back there!" Yuffie stomped along the deck of the Highwind.

"Fine. Stay here for all I care. It'll be a better trip if we left your annoying ass behind." Cid stated, walking into the cockpit, followed by Shera.

"Shut up!" Yuffie let out an exasperated growl. She spotted Red and Bugenhagen making their way onto the ship. "Come on, Red. Do we really have to go back to Wutai?"

Red shook his head at the young ninja's defiance. "Yes, Yuffie. The Wutain mountains of Dao-Cho contain the remedy that is needed to cure my grandfather."

The others started making their way up onto the deck of the Highwind. Reno and Tifa were followed up by Cloud and Aerith. Vincent remained on the corner of the deck, quietly listening to the young ninja's complaints.

Yuffie was angered, "Ugh! All this for a stupid flower?"

Red growled at her, "My grandfather's life is at stake! If you don't want to help the rest of our friends find the cure to save him, fine, but do not try and stop us, either."

The young ninja stepped back from the wolverine's vicious words. She knew that he was right. What she was doing was wrong and selfish, but returning back to Wutai meant that all the problems that she tried to escape from would return, as well. 'I have every right to be selfish!'

"FINE! But if you think I'm setting foot off of this jet, you all have another thing coming! If you want to explore Wutai, fine! If you want to have some big celebration once Bugenhagen is healed, fine! DON'T get me involved!" She stormed off, an angry pout on her face.

The group on the deck remained silent after the young ninja's outburst.

Vincent lifted his head. "She's angry."

Bugenhagen felt pained to cause them all of this inconvenience, especially when they were already on an important journey. He lowered his head, "I'm sorry everyone."

Tifa shook her head, sympathetically, "No, you haven't done anything wrong, Bugenhagen. Yuffie has a difficult time returning back to her village. It isn't exactly the place she would call home."

Cloud added, "She has a lot of issues with her father. They never really fixed any of the problems between them. I guess...it's understandable for her to feel this way."

Aerith turned to him, "I'll go and talk to her. Maybe it'll help." She stated to make her way off.

"Wait, Aerith." He stopped her. "Let's talk to Bugenhagen first. Yuffie can wait."

"Oh hooo hooooo! That's right, my dear! You were in a state far too dormant last night that I was unable to conduct a proper prognosis! Come, come inside!" Bugenhagen led the two of the deck.

Once inside, the three had arrived in the cabin area of the Highwind, where Aerith sat down onto one of the beds. Bugenhagen toggled his glasses for a moment, before resting his hand beneath Aerith's chin. He tilted her head upwards, getting a better look into her emerald green eyes.

From behind Bugenhagen, Aerith could see the concern in Cloud's face. Bugenhagen continued his examination.

Cloud voiced his concern. "Is she alright?"

Bugenhagen ran a hand through his long, white beard. "Hm. You say these symptoms have afflicted you more times than once, dear?"

Aerith nodded, "Yes. The first time it happened was when we saved Red back in Corel and it happened again last night."

Bugenhagen questioned, "What would happen before these effects came to pass."

Aerith stumbled over her words, trying to describe exactly how she had felt. "There was...a sort of energy, something powerful that passed directly through me. No, it felt like it was coming _from within_ me. It created this...indescribable power."

Bugenhagen continued, "And this isn't because of your Cetra abilities?"

She shook her head, "No, no I don't think so. As a Cetra, I was always able to cure and protect people. I had instincts that gave me the possibility to see into other peoples' souls, but nothing like this. This...is powerful."

Cloud turned to the elderly man, "Have you ever heard of anything like this?" The blonde-haired soldier knew that Bugenhagen had a vast knowledge of many things about this planet, but it did not assure Cloud when even the elderly man seemed confused.

Bugenhagen did not reply. He looked back at Aerith and looked into her eyes, more focused than before. He reached up to remove the dark glasses, revealing his blind eyes.

Aerith stared at him, confused. "You're...?"

Bugenhagen nodded, "You did not know? Oh hoo hooo! Believe me, most do not!" He placed his palm over her forehead. "Do not be fooled, my dear. I can see far beyond those who cannot see at all." His words were puzzling to say the least. He lowered his head down to hers, "Now, concentrate on me..."

She fixated her eyes on his, as he pressed his hand firmly against her forehead. She stared at him, focused, but with confusion in her eyes.

Bugenhagen's mouth opened, as he exhaled. He felt a strange energy passing between him and Aerith. For an instant, Bugenhagen's dark eyes illuminated to a bright green color. His mouth trembled, a powerful source going through him. His hands shook, his body faltering and trembling. Cloud placed an arm on the older man's shoulder as a source of support. In that moment, Bugenhagen and Aerith felt a rumbling from within them, as if their souls were shaking and intertwining.

To both Aerith and Bugenhagen, an unforeseen energy was transferring between the two of them. The two of them felt as if they were being engulfed in a bright green light. Images flashed through the two of their minds. Memories, visions, the future all wrapped up in light, blinding the two.

"What's happening?" Aerith's voice trembled, as she tried to see through the brightness. Images flashed through her mind quickly, as she was unable to make out anything. "It's too bright...too many...images. I...I can't see anything." These images all folded into one.

Cloud stepped closer to Aerith. "Aerith, talk to me!" Whatever Aerith and Bugenhagen were seeing was invisible to Cloud.

Bugenhagen's mouth dropped, his forehead scrunched. "Life...lifestr...eam."

Cloud looked back at him, "What?"

Bugenhagen stated again, "...Lifestream."

Aerith and Bugenhagen were taken out of their trance and snapped back into reality, left without a clue of what had just happened. The two remained there for an instant, as they caught their breath.

Cloud looked at the two of them, concerned. "Are you alright?"

Aerith nodded, as she took in deep breaths. "I'm fine. Bugenhagen, what was that?"

Bugenhagen looked at her sternly, grasping onto her shoulders, somewhat frightening her. "You came back. You came back onto this planet after joining the Lifestream. What happened when you returned!?" His words sounded demanding.

Aerith stuttered, "I...I returned with my friend, Zack. When we were caught between worlds, between the Lifestream and the living world, there was...a force of sorts. It was like a moving mist...something powerful that was chasing us. When we were on the verge of both worlds, when we were betwixt in-between, it caught up to us and...that's all I can remember. I awoke in Mideel, afterwards."

Bugenhagen nodded, "Curious."

Cloud interjected, curious with what the elderly man was thinking. "Curious? About what?'

"Aerith, I can only hypothesize that you awoke in Mideel due to the great forces of the Lifestream that traverses about that land. It acted as a channel to transport you from the Lifestream into this world."

Aerith nodded, "That's what I thought, too."

"But what I've come to understand from observing you, there may be much more to this than we can see."

"Meaning what exactly?" Aerith could only ponder what Bugenhagen was getting at.

Bugenhagen lowered his head, "Aerith, I believe that a piece of the Lifestream has latched itself onto you when you returned."

Her eyes widened, "But...how? That...can't happen. People become a PART of the Lifestream. It can't become a part of a person when they are alive. I mean, that's...that's impossible."

He countered, "Haven't you been doing quite a few impossible things as of late? What makes this impossible feat any different from the others?"

She was confused. "This is why...I have this new power? It's the...Lifestream inside of me?"

Bugenhagen nodded, "I believe so. I've seen it before! Powers so great, but not necessarily from the life source of the planet. Even I have learned some of these powers, ho hooo hooo! Yours is something entirely different, however!"

She lifted up her head, "But what about my friend, Zack? Why hasn't he been affected?"

Bugenhagen paused for a moment, thinking about her question. "Perhaps, when the Lifestream protruded forward during your escape, it latched onto the most powerful being it could find. You."

Aerith shook her head. "That's ridiculous. I'm...I'm not powerful."

"Oh, the contrary, Aerith, ho hooo hooo! You've saved the world, you've cured illness, you've returned back to the living world, all while being in the Lifestream! You were able to influence this world in many ways, entire worlds apart! That is powerful. You are made to break the boundaries of the impossible, Aerith."

Cloud glanced down at Aerith, concerned. "But...the Lifestream, is it dangerous? Can it harm her if it's become a part of her?"

Bugenhagen continued, "Let me re-phrase your question! Is power dangerous? That is dependent on the person whom possesses it. Man thirsts to achieve power and with it, can cause great hope and great destruction. It varies for each person." He scratched his beard. "One could become the savior of the world like you, Aerith, while the other could become a destructive force like the almighty Sephiroth. Power falls within the spectrum of white and black, light and darkness, leaving the possessor to choose."

Aerith shook her head, confused.

Bugenhagen let out a cough, his disease getting the better of him. His words stumbled against his violent coughs. "I'm sorry. That's all I can say about the matter. We should tell Cid to leave as soon as possible." He made his way out of the cabin.

Cloud and Aerith remained there in silence. Cloud turned to her and was the first to break the silence between them. "Are you alright?"

She was left perplexed. Fragments of the Lifestream were inside of her. 'Is this good or bad?' she found herself questioning. "If what Bugenhagen said was true, then I don't even want these powers. " She sounded appalled at the slightest idea of it.

A sudden jolt struck the Highwind, as the engines powered. Loud machinery could be heard in the distant recesses of the airship. The room slowly began to slant on an incline and soon clouds could be seen flowing past the cabin windows.

Cid came over the intercom, "Alrighty then, we're takin' off for Wutai! We'll be there in a bit!"

Cloud reached down and helped Aerith off the bed. He looked into her eyes, concerned when the deep confusion hadn't left them. "Come on, don't worry about it. I know that you're still you...even with this new power. That hasn't changed." He gave her a small smile.

She nodded, smiling slightly at him. "Y-yeah, you're right." At least she hoped he was.

As he began to lead her out of the cabin, she thought to herself, 'Powers that sway between light and darkness...leaving the person to choose, like Sephiroth and I had done.' She vowed to herself, "If this power could influence even Sephiroth, I'll do everything I can do discard it.'

'I don't want to become like him.'

* * *

Yuffie made her way through the Highwind, mostly trying to avoid the glaring looks that some of her companions were giving her. After her earlier outburst, many of them kept their distance from her. They knew that she was childish. They knew that she could be selfish. They didn't think that she would be so adamant when it came to returning to her home. She refused and not only that, she refused to help Bugenhagen. That's when everyone had separated from her.

"Jerks." She muttered under her breath.

She stumbled across Tifa and Reno in the Meeting Room. The two were sitting close together when the young ninja had entered into the room.

"Hey guys."

Reno scooted a few inches away from Tifa. "Damn, can't we ever get a moment alone in this place?"

"Well, EXCUSE me." Yuffie snorted, obvious anger and annoyance showing in her voice.

Tifa sighed, "Can we help you with something, Yuffie?"

The ninja shook her head, "Not really. Just seeing what everyone is up to."

"Well, there's not much happening in here." Tifa shrugged her shoulders, "Why don't you go talk to Barret or Vincent? I'm sure you'll get some great conversation out of them." She shooed Yuffie out of the room, closing the door behind her. She let out a frustrated sigh and turned back to Reno, "Now, where were we?" She bent down and locked Reno's lips in a kiss.

On the opposite side of the door, Yuffie let out an agitated growl. "Seriously, you guys?!" She pounded on the door.

'Sorry! Can't hear you!" She heard Reno yell from the other side of the door.

She gave the door a swift kick before turning around and walking away. She made her way down towards the cockpit, where Cid and Shera were by the control panel, surrounded by a few of the other crew men that worked on the ship. Barret was also nearby, along with Vincent, Rude and the other members of the Turks.

"Well, well, well, look who it is." Elena spoke up, stepping forward from the small group of the Turks.

Yuffie rolled her eyes, "Ugh, you again? I've had enough of you for, well, a lifetime."

Elena playfully laughed at Yuffie's remark. "You really are a child, you know. Grow up a little will you."

Cid laughed at Elena's remark, earning an angry glance from Yuffie.

Elena advanced towards her, "It's ridiculous that everyone's allowed you to continue on with us. All you care about is yourself and the minute you have to deal with anyone's else's problems, you turn away." She scolded Yuffie, "I know that we are members of the Turks and there's been a lot of bad blood between us and Avalanche in the past, but hell, even we are willing to help Bugenhagen. That's loyalty."

Yuffie's eyes glared like daggers at her, "And what would YOU know about loyalty?"

Elena smiled, "Far more than you, dear. Even in the worst times, I've stuck by the Turks. I don't run away and turn my back on them, which is what YOU always do."

Yuffie shook her head, tears filling her eyes. She knew that she was wrong for the way she had acted, but that didn't give everyone else the right to pick on her. "You-you don't know the whole story."

"I know enough to know that you're a runaway coward."

Barret interrupted her, "That's enough, Elena." He scolded her, to Yuffie's surprise. She would never think that Barret would be one to stick up for her.

"What for?" Elena raised her voice, "You should know, Barret! Marlene would never want to leave your side. You left her not because you wanted to, but because you had to when we started this journey. That is loyalty." She turned back to Yuffie. "You ran away from your father and your home and turned your back on all of them without saying a word, coward. You know, I'm surprised you're not a member of the Turks, you're worse than the lot of us," she said, sarcastically.

Tseng stepped forward, "Elena, that's enough."

Cid let out a laugh, "Aw, damn Tseng! I was just startin' to enjoy Elena ripping into her!"

Elena let out a confident smile.

Yuffie turned back to Cid, a hurt look on her face. "I hate you so much."

By the look of Cid's expression, he didn't seem to care about her words. "Yeah, well a lot of us feel the same for you."

"Cid!" Shera lightly slapped his arm, scolding the man. "Yuffie, he doesn't mean that."

"Of course he does." Yuffie lowered her head. She felt a few tears slip from her eyes, but she was not going to give them the satisfaction of seeing what they had done to her. "You can say I ran away from home. You can say I abandoned my family and my people, but do not say that I was a coward when you have no idea what I've been through!"

Elena gave her a concerned look out of pure mockery. "Aw, are you sad now? Are you going to cry? Hm, you really are pathetic."

Yuffie shot her an angry look, her eyes watering over, before she stormed from the cockpit.

Reeve turned to Elena, "That was a bit harsh, wasn't it?"

She scoffed, "Who cares? She deserved it. She's the one that made these decisions in her life, she's the one that has to live with them! What? Now that we're returning to her home, she's going to make us out to be the bad guys in all of this, when WE are the ones wanting to help her friends. Please..."

Tseng patted Elena on the shoulder, "Just try a little more self-restraint next time."

"No promises there." Elena smiled to herself, thinking of the absolute nightmare that she could turn Yuffie's life into. 'This could be fun.'

* * *

Yuffie made her way through the Maintenance Bay, as she felt the tears begin to sting her eyes, rolling down her face. She realized that this was the first time in a long while that she actually cried, possibly since Aerith's death.

'What the hell is wrong with everyone? Are they all seriously that upset with me? They don't even want to be around me.'

Yuffie knew that she was not perfect. She was young. She was energetic and playful, knowing that she could get on peoples' nerves and frankly, she didn't care. She knew that she had her entire life ahead of her to be mature and that she had a lot to learn, but she was going to enjoy her life the way she wanted to live it.

'Just because I'm not 'mature' like the rest of them, they look down on me.' She lowered her head, upset. 'They don't understand. They aren't even trying to.'

Yuffie wiped away the tears falling down her cheeks, before she noticed Aerith walking up to her.

Aerith approached the girl, concern in her eyes. "Yuffie. What's wrong? What's the matter?" She lightly placed her hand on the young ninja's shoulder, prompting her to talk to her.

"Everything! Everyone's driving me crazy. I understand that everyone is upset with me and I'm sorry, but I don't want to go back there!" Yuffie choked out between her sobs. She grabbed onto Aerith, crying into her shoulder.

Aerith embraced the young woman, lightly running her hand down her back. "Shh, I know." She bit her lip, feeling upset over Yuffie's dilemma. "Come on." She pressed Yuffie onwards.

"Where are we going?" Yuffie questioned, looking up through tear-stained eyes.

"We're going to talk. You helped me, now it's my turn to help you."

Aerith wanted to be there for her friend. No, not a friend, a sister. Yuffie was like a little sister to her and seeing her in this state only made Aerith's heart heavy. While she had her own struggles, Aerith did not mind putting them aside to comfort the young ninja.

She led them up towards the deck of the ship. The light breeze brushed against their skin, as the Highwind soared high above the earth.

Aerith leaned on the railing, looking over at Yuffie. "I know that it must be hard to return home, to your father and to your friends, but you never know, maybe they want you to come back."

Yuffie shook her head, "No. The people there don't care about me." She sighed, " And my father...he blames me for ruining his life..."

Aerith lowered her head, "Do you think you did?"

Yuffie stood there in silence for a second. "Yes." She turned to face Aerith, "Many years ago, back when the war was ravaging through Wutai, my mother became pregnant with me and my father couldn't have been happier." She looked away. "During that time, my mother fell ill during the pregnancy. She continued to fight on, wanting to have this baby, when it would have been so much easier for her if she didn't."

Aerith frowned and placed a hand on her friend's shoulder, "Yuffie..."

"My father sent people all throughout Wutai, searching the villages and mountains for the same flower that might save Bugenhagen, but they never found it. They couldn't find the cure that could heal my mother."

Yuffie continued with a small smile on her face, "I was born and all of Wutai celebrated." Her smile faltered, "And then, she died." Yuffie shook her head, as if that would somehow stop the tears from falling from her face. "She fought for me until the end...and she died."

Aerith felt a few tears forming in her own eyes and whispered, "I know how that feels." She brought Yuffie into a tight embrace, "I'm so sorry, Yuffie. I didn't know."

"No one does. My father believed that I was the reason why my mother died and all of our problems continued from there."

Aerith shook her head, "No! Yuffie, you didn't do that. You can't think like that!"

"My father made me believe it. As I grew up, I started looking for materia. I thought that...maybe there'd be some secret, some mystery behind them that could bring my mother back, but it couldn't happen." Yuffie nervously laughed through her tears, "It's stupid. I spent years wasting my time on something that couldn't even be done."

Aerith grasped her hand, "No, Yuffie. It's not stupid. It's courageous."

"I didn't feel that way. Soon after, my father started pushing me to follow in his footsteps. As the leader of Wutai, he always wanted to rule my life for me." She sighed, "He said that he wanted what was best for me, but he was making me live my life the way he wanted me to live it, not the way I wanted to. I wasn't even allowed to leave my own home without his permission."

Yuffie shook her head, "We grew further apart when he started pushing me to become an empress of Wutai. I'd be living in luxury, I'd have treasures, everything I could desire, but I didn't want that life..."

She continued on, "He wanted royalty more than he wanted to be a part of a family and I can't imagine living that way. I wanted freedom...I wanted family and friends, but I couldn't find any of that in Wutai."

Aerith nodded, "That's when you ran."

Yuffie nodded, "I did. I'd rather be a thief exploring the world than royalty trapped behind walls."

Aerith agreed with her friend.

"It wasn't until I met you, Cloud and all the others that I felt like...I finally found friends. Even if I annoy you sometimes, I felt closer to all of you than to anybody else." Yuffie lowered her eyes, "But it seems like they don't want anything to do with me, now. Cid even told me that they hated me..."

Her friend sighed, "Yuffie, no. We all care about you."

Yuffie frowned and shook her head. "No, they don't. I'll always just be the immature materia hunter to them. I've seen how they act to know that they don't truly care."

Aerith interrupted, "Oh, I think they do. Even Cid. We all care."

Yuffie looked over at Aerith, questioning sincerity in her eyes. "You...you believe that? That they care?"

Aerith nodded, as if it was so simple to understand. "I know they do. I've seen it. I wish they'd show it more often."

Aerith's words seemed to inspire a sense of hope and sadness in Yuffie, who had started to think about her father and her friends. She thought of all the time she spent arguing with these people in her life and how in a moment, it didn't matter. It was Aerith's words that breathed hope into the young ninja.

Yuffie's voice softened, "You...you don't think it's too late for me? After all the people I've hurt?"

"Oh, I don't think it's too late for anyone."

Yuffie turned to Aerith suddenly, "So, if I...if I wanted to change...if I wanted to be a part of family again, to honor my friends...do you really think they would forgive me? Would they let me back in?"

Aerith smiled and nodded, "Yes. I think they would love that."

Yuffie smiled and hugged her friend. "I've lost so much already. I don't want to lose them. I don't want to lose you. I...I can't lose any more family."

Aerith pulled back from her, love and respect in her eyes. "You see me as family?"

"Of course I do. You've made me realize that people are good. I feel like...this is what family is. We're like sisters."

Aerith smiled and nodded, "Right. We are like family, which is why I want you to trust me." Aerith grasped Yuffie's hand. "Trust me that the people will be willing to accept you again."

Yuffie smiled, "I hope you're right."

Aerith nodded, "Before my mother had died, she told me that there was nothing more important than family. I'm going to help you through this, Yuffie. If you ever feel unsure, know that I am proud of you."

The two looked over the horizon, beyond the sea. The Highwind's forward motion traveled faster and faster towards Wutai.

* * *

Reno looked out from one of the windows along the atrium at the front of the Highwind. The waters of the ocean rushed just beneath the floating jet.

"Enjoying the view?" Tifa's voice perked behind him.

He turned around and gave her a sly smile, "Well, I am now."

She giggled lightly and stepped up towards the window. "We should be there soon, I think."

Cid shouted from the control panel, "Hell yeah! We should be there in half an hour or so? Start kickin' things into full gear, guys!" He shouted out towards the crew men on the ship.

Reno turned to Tifa, "Well, sucks for Yuffie, I guess. She'll have to be dragged out of her kicking and screaming."

Tifa raised an eyebrow, "Hm. Yeah, she'd rather stay on the Highwind the entire time we're here rather than go back home. It's sort of sad, really."

Cid shouted back over to them, "Well, that's too damn bad! We're kickin' her off! Tomorrow, Shera's gonna be doin' some work with the crew in the engine room. We don't need anyone laggin' behind!"

Tifa turned and looked over to Shera, who was rubbing her pregnant stomach. "Work? Are you sure you're capable of all that? You're almost due, you should rest." She sounded concerned.

Shera laughed lightly, "Don't worry. I just stand around with a clipboard and ensure that the rest of the crew does their work. Believe me, I'm sure I can handle it."

"Well, if you're certain." Tifa still didn't sound too persuaded by the idea.

Shera continued, "Well, we could always use a few extra hands around here. If you'd like to stay back and help out, you're more than welcome to."

Tifa raised her glove hand to her chin, thinking for a moment. She turned to Reno, "What do you think?"

Reno put on a face of mock thought, "Oh, I don't know. What's more fun? Scaling a mountain to find a non-existent flower or being stuck in a cramped engine room all day? Take your pick."

Tifa shook her head. "You're no help at all, are you?" She playfully pushed him away. "Well, I know that quite a few of the group is going up the mountains. Barret, Cloud, Aerith, Red. Even the Turks are going. Vincent, too." She thought for another moment. "They have it pretty well covered, I think. I'm sure they won't miss the two of us."

Shera smiled at them, "Glad to hear it. We shouldn't be too long tomorrow. Any help would be greatly appreciated."

Tifa smiled, "Of course."

Reno laughed, "Not that we'd be too great at helping out anyway. We'll start out fine, then I'd get to flirting, you won't be able to keep your hands off me..."

Tifa laughed and rolled her eyes, "Right. I guess I'll have to learn some self-restraint tomorrow," she said, sarcastically. "We'll have to focus on helping out Shera tomorrow."

Cid shouted back to them, "We're heading closer to Wutai. Ya'll better start preparin' for landin'!"

Tifa looked back down outside of the glass window. From up ahead, she could make out some land formation beyond the ocean. Her eyes widened when she saw the great scope of the Wutain mountains. They seemed larger and more vast than she had ever remembered them to be. They seemed to completely engulf and surround all of Wutai. "I guess there's no more hiding for Yuffie is there?"

Reno shook his head and smiled, "With this damn thing falling from the sky, it's doubtful that we won't alarm all of Wutai. Just wait until the people see Yuffie." He laughed when he pictured the Wutains' reactions to Yuffie's return. "We should start getting ready for landing."

* * *

The Highwind hovered over the village of Wutai, looming over the mountainous ranges that surrounded the city. The jet had cast a shadow down onto the village, as curious onlookers looked up at the lowering vehicle. It was quite uncommon for the citizens of Wutai to ever see something like this.

Wutai was located on an isolated island far off the coast of civilization. Beaches and plains led the way towards the mountains that surrounded the village. It was quite a day's walk to trek through the mountainous passages to arrive at the village. The Wutains lived their life in solitude and peace after the Wutai War had ravaged their village for years. Now, Wutai had turned into a tourist destination, where people would come to view the beautiful sights and culture of the village. While the wandering guests did not harm the spirit of Wutai, Yuffie and her father looked down on the idea that their beautiful homeland was slowly deteriorating into a tourist trap.

"Well, we're here!" Tifa stepped out of the Highwind, pulling Reno by the arm along with her.

"Hey! Easy!"

"Ha! Ha! Bout time!" Barret cheered, following the two out. While he stepped down into the outside courtyard, he noticed the large gate that marked the entrance to Wutai. He was followed out of the ship by the Turks.

Cloud and Aerith walked down the ramp of the ship. The flower girl tugged a young ninja with her. "Come on, Yuffie. Remember what we talked about? Everything will be fine."

Yuffie shook her head, her feet trying to dig themselves into the ground to stop her from moving. "Are we sure about this? Do we really have to go?"

Cloud turned back to her, "Too late for that now."

Red followed them out of the ship, his tail wagging behind him. Bugenhagen was by his side. "Right. Besides, we have that flower to find for, grandfather. If we have to prowl all of the Dao-Cho mountains to find it, so be it."

"Ho hooo hoooo! Such determination!" Bugenhagen chirped in. He covered his mouth when he let out a series of violent coughs. Red looked over at his grandfather, concerned.

"Don't worry, grandfather. This will all be over soon." The wolverine gave a small smile, which earned him a pat on the head.

To this, Yuffie let out a disappointed stomp. She realized, as much as she tried, it would not persuade her friends to turn back. She wanted to stay back on the Highwind, but she knew that Cid would only kick her off. "Ugh, fine." She walked down towards the gate, where the group waited.

At the side of the gate, the group examined a series of maps and pamphlets in a wooden holder.

Reeve spoke up, "Hey, what's this?"

"Whoa! It's all of the attractions found throughout Wutai. They look fun!" Elena chimed in when she examined one of the maps.

"Oh Gawd." Yuffie muttered under her breath.

Zack approached them, his eyes glowing when he saw the fun details on the pamphlets. "Dao-Cho Mountain Trails with fantastic village views. The Royal Dynasty Marketplace of shopping and dining. White sand beaches and historical village tours. Sounds like fun!"

Tseng turned to him, "Didn't you have enough fun at the Gold Saucer?"

"Hey, you know. I'm always in the mood for a little fun!" Zack replied with a cocky smile.

"Right. With a buncha these deadbeats, we need as much fun as we can get!" Reno let out a smile and turned to Tifa with a suggestion. "Maybe we can sneak away after work tomorrow?"

Tifa smiled, "Maybe. Let's see how much work Shera has first."

Reno returned the smile and faced Rude. "And what fun plans do you have?"

Rude adjusted his glasses, "..."

"Hm. Sounds like fun."

Barret interjected, "Whoa! Whoa! Whoa! Hold up, fools. We ain't here on a damn vacation! We helpin' Red, so put down the damn pamphlets and let's get it crackin'!"

Cloud nodded, "Right. Let's go." He pushed open the large doors that stood at the entrance of Wutai, leading the large group behind them.

The group entered into the central courtyard of Wutai, admiring the wonderful scenery that expanded before them.

"Beautiful." Bugenhagen remarked.

There were tall, tiered buildings inspired from Asian architecture, boasting red and golden ornate carvings and finishings. Golden dragon statues were plastered onto the pointed roofs of the buildings. Rows of cherry blossom trees lined the way towards one particular building at the far back end of the courtyard, which seemed to stick out more than the others. The building featured more detail and gold finishings than all of the other in the village.

The courtyard was bustling with citizens and tourists passing through, doing the same awe-struck wandering that the group was doing. Down a small path just off of the entrance, the village expanded into the marketplace. Paper lanterns hung above, draped from one building to another. Tourists and merchants filled the street, passing by stores featuring the latest Wutai fashions, jewelry and accessories. There were small outdoor cafes and stands serving freshly prepared foods. The marketplace stretched all the way to the base of the mountains that enveloped the village.

"Wow, this place is incredible!" Aerith beamed, as she twirled around the marketplace taking in the sights, almost too much to see. It was overwhelming.

Cloud gave a small smile to her reaction.

The group soon realized how easy it was to determine the residents of Wutai from the visiting guests. Most of the residents seemed to stare down at the group, as if seeing them was the oddest thing. Not to mention, the looks that the group was receiving weren't exactly the best. It wasn't just them. The residents seemed to be giving odd looks to all of the tourists that seemed to pass through. It became fairly easy to discern between the two.

"Warm welcome." Reno remarked with a small smirk.

Yuffie tried to blend into the group as much as possible. "Why are they all staring?"

Zack turned to her. "Can you blame them? Their village was turned into a tourist destination." He whispered as another pair of citizens walked past him, glaring.

"They see us as intruders." Tifa spoke up, glancing about the marketplace. 'We're here along with all of the other tourists that are encroaching in on their land. We're the same to them."

"Well, damn! Can't we ever catch a damn break!?" Cid shouted, pulling the attention of the surrounding people. If the residents didn't have reason enough to glance over at them with looks of disgust, Cid just gave them another reason. Shera calmly hushed her husband.

"Smooth one, old man." Yuffie scoffed, passing him a look of annoyance.

"Well, I've had enough of this shit! I'm goin' to the hotel! We got a long ass day tomorrow!" Cid turned back at them, before heading off with Shera towards the hotel.

The group's attention was pulled when they noticed a woman approach them. She was wearing a kimono, with a face covered in powdered make-up.

"Welcome to the Royal Dynasty Marketplace of Wutai!"

Cloud shrugged and scratched the back of his head, "Erm...thanks."

The woman's eyes widened when she spotted the young ninja out of the crowd. When the two of them made eye contact, the ninja instinctively ducked down. "Are you-you're..." The woman let out a gasp and bowed her head in front of the ninja's presence, taking the young woman's hand in her own. "Miss Yuffie, it is an honor."

Yuffie stared down at their hands, before giving her a questioning look. "Um...right."

The woman looked up to face her. "Surely all of Wutai must rejoice now that you have returned to us."

Yuffie shook her head vigorously, "No! Really' that's fine. No celebration needed!"

"Are you certain? This is such an honorable occasion! We must make accommodations for you."

Before Yuffie could speak up, the woman was off. Yuffie was left perplexed. Were these people actually happy to see her? She didn't understand why. As the daughter of the ruler of Wutai, she would consider her abandonment from her village to be unforgiveable.

"What was that all about?" Aerith turned to the young ninja.

Yuffie shook her head, confused. "I...don't know..."

Zack pointed forwards, "...but, I think we're about to find out."

The same woman from earlier came up to them again, this time, with a few other residents at her side. "We greatly welcome the return of the great Yuffie and all of her friends." From that instant, the group was instantly bombarded with questions.

"Can we get you anything?"

"Are you hungry?"

"Do you need to rest?"

The residents of Wutai were offering the group the utmost quality of hospitality services that they could offer. It wasn't often that royalty like Yuffie would arrive in the village. Two of the women soon came along and took Aerith, Tifa and Elena along with them.

"Hey, where you guys goin'?" Reno called after them. "Hey! Wait up!"

* * *

"How the hell did we end up like this?" Reno looked over to Cloud.

The two of them were sitting on an ornate sofa in the middle of the Wutai Boutique, cleverly titled 'The Wu-tique'. Just by seeing the outside sign, Cloud and Reno had several reasons to detest what was about to happen.

Aerith and Tifa were behind a set of separate sliding closing doors, getting changed into traditional Wutain attire. Elena stood off to the side, refusing to partake and instead had decided to look about the large store with Zack.

Yuffie nervously paced around the store, wondering what would happen when her father found out about her presence. Surely word must have been spreading throughout the village. It wouldn't be long. Her father did have eyes and ears throughout all of Wutai, to be fair.

One of the women at the boutique saw the sour faces on Cloud and Reno and approached the two of them. "Don't worry, it won't be long now. It is honored tradition for the friends and family of royalty to receive Wutai's historical garments." She said with a smile, before making her way off.

Yuffie scoffed, "Ugh, since when? This has nothing to do with Wutai's history. It's all a part of this tourism crap!"

Reno turned over to Cloud and whispered sharply, "How could you let this happen?"

Cloud's eyes widened and he whispered back, "Me?! You're the one that followed them over here and dragged me along!"

Reno shook his head and whispered back, more sternly. "Ok, whatever, it doesn't matter. Regardless, the two of us have to take a stand, Cloud."

Cloud looked at him confused, "What the hell are you talking about?"

Reno whispered, "If we don't do something about this now, this is gonna be the rest of our lives! Dumbass shopping sprees, romantic movie Mondays, we'll be makin' ALL THE GIL for them to spend ALL THE GIL." He let out a frustrated moan when he thought of the idea, clutching his head. "We gotta show 'em who's in charge."

Cloud nodded, "Right. And I think it's your way of thinking that's going to get the two of us slapped."

"We'll get slapped either way."

Cloud sighed, "Just sit back and be a man about it."

Reno stared at him with a dead serious look on his face. "Love changed you. I think it's gross." The two let out a laugh. "Though, if they do drag us to another one of these places...I own a gun. It's back with my stuff on the ship. Do me a favor and put me out of my misery. Please and thank you."

The two were interrupted when Aerith stepped out from behind the sliding door, wearing a dark green kimono, which reached her mid-thigh, showing off her long legs. The dress hugged her curves perfectly and featured delicate flower patterns on it. She nervously clutched the base of the skirt, not used to wearing something so short. Her hair was done up in a messy bun with chopsticks.

Yuffie raised an eyebrow at her, "Yeah. This is definitely not traditional..."

Aerith liked the reaction that she got from Cloud's wide-eyed, mouth slacked face. She let out a small giggle, which she covered with the long sleeve of her dress.

"Whoa, Aerith." Zack smiled, "You got a body."

Aerith shot a look at Zack before looking back towards Cloud, the same serious expression on her face.

Cloud gave a reassuring nod and smiled, "Don't be getting any ideas, Zack."

Tifa stepped out moments later in the same dress as Aerith, only in a dark blue color. "You look great, babe." Reno smiled and gave a rather suggestive wink at Tifa. She rolled her eyes, but thanked Reno sincerely.

The woman approached Yuffie again. "Are you sure you don't want one, Miss Yuffie? I'm sure it will look wonderful on you!" The woman tried to persuade, but Yuffie denied.

"No, I'm fine. Thank you." To Yuffie's response, the woman bowed before she continued to talk with the young ninja.

In one of the corners of the store, Aerith made her way through the walls of ornate clothing, unlike anything she had ever seen before. It was interesting and unusual. It was foreign to her, to all of them really.

As much as she enjoyed this day so far, she couldn't help but shake Bugenhagen's words from earlier. It scared her and her mind had been on the topic ever since it was brought to her attention. 'The Lifestream.' Even when Cloud had tried to uplift her spirits, she still had a wandering fear in the back of her mind.

Cloud approached her from behind and let out a small cough, gaining her attention.

"Hey." She gave him a small smile, when he noticed how he looked her up and down. Her smile soon grew into a wide grin, as she tilted her head to the side.

"You...you're...y-you're beautiful." He whispered and smiled, sheepishly, feeling a rush of warmth glow across his cheeks.

Aerith smiled sincerely at him, "You're so sweet." She adored that even a strong, built man like Cloud had this boyish, sweet charm about him. It was one of the many things she loved about him.

She turned back to the shelves of clothing, as Cloud watched her. She came back with a few new garments in her hands, a coy smile across her face. "Here, I found some new ones to start our collection of Wutai clothes." She presented him an emperor and empress outfit. "They match! I thought they'd look cute on us."

Cloud looked down at the uniform, then back up to her, then back down at the uniform. He couldn't tell if she was being serious or just kidding around. Regardless, she burst into a fit of giggles at his reaction.

"Oh, come on! I think this nice emperor hat would look so cute on you!" She brought the hat up to his head and tried to place it on the top of his spiky hair.

"Aerith, no! Stop!" He tried to fight her off.

She huffed and threw her hands at her side, showing mock frustration. "Fine, I won't put you through all this misery now." She placed the garments on the rack and brought her face close to his, their noses touching. "But next time we come to Wutai, you'd better prepare to be the new emperor and empress of the village, mister!"

They laughed Cloud more so than Aerith for a change, which did not go unnoticed by him. He knew that she must have been thinking about Bugenhagen's words earlier that day. She seemed to be in a state of thought for most of the day. He was taken out of his thoughts when he looked over towards the small group back in the central room of the boutique. The room was starting to fill with imperial guards.

'Oh, great. What's happening now?' He took hold of Aerith's hand and led her back over towards the others.

"Miss Yuffie, your father, the Great Godo, would like to have an appearance with you as soon as possible." One of the imperial guards spoke.

"Well, that didn't take him long." Yuffie sighed, "Sorry boys, but I think I'll have to pass on that. Send my regards, though!" She chirped.

"Miss Yuffie, your father is making it mandatory that you meet with him. He gave us orders to not let anyone enter or leave the village until he sees you. There are guards surrounding the gate, to your misfortune. My apologies."

Yuffie rolled her eyes, "I don't care! You see, this is just like him! He keeps us from LEAVING! This is just like him, he hasn't changed one bit!"

Yuffie paused for a moment and turned back to the guards, "And for Gawd sake, my name is Yuffie! I don't need any of this formal mumbo jumbo! That's not me!"

One of the women in the store spoke up, "Oh, but Miss Yuffie, you are our village's heroine! The village looks up to you, the young children aspire to be you! You are truly the image of Wutai that we all strive to uphold; strength, devotion and beauty!

Yuffie sighed, "Well, I appreciate all of the compliments, but what the hell are you talking about?" The young ninja was now fairly convinced that this woman had no idea who she was.

The woman stumbled over her words, "Well, you left your village and declined the position of royalty, all so that you could explore the world for treasure to help Wutai's suffering economy! You are truly remarkable!"

Yuffie's eyes widened, "What?" None of what this woman said was true. "Who told you this?"

The woman bowed her head, sheepishly. "Well...your father, of course."

Yuffie's eyes glared daggers when she realized that her father had made up lies to excuse her absence. It wasn't enough that he had to rule over her life, but now he was starting to add his own details into it. That was the last straw.

Yuffie turned to one of the guards. "On second thought, I meeting with my father could be just what I need." She glared darkly at the man, feeling this intense hatred building up inside of her.

* * *

Yuffie entered into her former home, where her father continued to reside. She looked about the place and realized that not much had changed. Everything was just as she remembered it, down to the last detail. The place was not necessarily filled with happy memories. Most of them consisted of her attempts to escape and her father's continuous thwarts on her plans. She entered into the central room of the house and for the first time in many months, she came face to face with her father.

The robed-clad man sat on a throne at the far end of the room and nodded as she entered, "Hello, Yuffie."

Yuffie's glare remained serious, her tone low. "Hello, father."

"It's good to see you still looking like yourself. You still dress as if you're a child. You're a young woman now. You should start acting like one."

Yuffie stared at him for a moment, silent. "It didn't take you long to start criticizing me."

Her father laughed, "Oh, I'm not criticizing you, Yuffie. I'm helping you." He stepped forward from his throne. "So, why have you returned?"

"I'm here to help my friends. We're looking for that rare flower found along the mountains."

Her father bowed, "Yes. The same one that could have saved your late mother. How unfortunate that you will not find it."

Yuffie gritted through her teeth, "It's...for a dear friend. I believe that we will."

Her father laughed to himself, "Aren't you getting a little old for all of this? These journeys, the materia hunting, you're becoming a commoner. Who'd want to be your husband when you behave so immaturely? You're royalty; you should start seeing yourself that way."

Yuffie growled, frustrated, "But father, I don't want to be royalty! I don't want this life!"

Her father scoffed, sternly, "You don't know what you want. I know what is best for you and the life as empress is the answer."

"Father, no!" Yuffie shouted, "I don't care about royalty! I don't care about treasures or power! I just want to be happy."

Her father bowed his head, "Royalty will bring you happiness."

Yuffie shook her head, feelings building up within her, as she began to feel her eyes sting with tears. "No. It was royalty that took this family's happiness away."

"You...think this is my fault?" His voice was low and calm, but there was a building anger behind it.

Yuffie looked at him, disappointment in her eyes. "Of course it is."

"Stop it." Her father's tone was rugged and deep. "I get you this far in life, I get you to the edge of greatness and you want to throw it all away to become a materia hunter? You live your life like a peasant and you blame me? How dare you."

Yuffie stepped forward towards him, anger glowing in her eyes. "No, how dare you! It was because of you that I ran away in the first place! I didn't want this life you were making me live, I had to escape." She didn't stop the tears from falling down her cheeks. "Because of you! Because you couldn't listen to me!"

Her father looked broken. "Your mother would be so disappointed in you, as I am."

"No." Yuffie shook her head, sadness overtaking her. 'No. She fought for me. She fought for me until she died. That's love, more love than you had ever shown me!"

"You did not deserve it."

Yuffie paused, her father's words stinging her heart, "How could you say that, even if it was true?"

"Yuffie..."

"Why did you lie about why I left?" Her voice trembled, the sadness ringing through.

"I wanted to spare myself the embarrassment. I wanted Wutai to believe that that you were off to find great rewards that would help our village. I wanted them to honor you as a respectful woman…instead of a runaway who turned her back on her village."

Yuffie shook her head, "The village is doing just fine, you would know that better than anyone."

"Which is why they believed me. The tourists are bringing in heaps of money, but the people of Wutai believe that they are actually hurting the village."

Yuffie lowered her head, "So, you couldn't live with the embarrassment of lying to your entire village, so you had to make me out to be some great role model for all of Wutai?"

"Yuffie, no." Her father placed a hand on her cheek. "I couldn't live with the embarrassment of having you as a daughter."

Yuffie felt new tears fall from her face. Her father's tone was so serious, but so sad. She brushed his hand away. "Did...did you ever care about me?"

Her father sighed and took in a sharp inhale of breath. "I did. Years ago, before all this fighting happened."

Yuffie took a sigh, that was all she needed to hear. She made her way towards the door. "I'm leaving. I don't think...anything good can come out of this."

Her father turned away from her and walked back towards his throne. "You know the way out. You've tried leaving many times before."

Yuffie opened the door and stepped out, turning back one last time. "If I truly cared about you, I would have never left you in the first place." She shut the door behind her and turned, exiting out of the house.

She walked outside into the courtyard, where Aerith was waiting for her around the corner. Her friend approached her, "So, how'd it go?"

Yuffie paused for a moment, before shaking her head. Tears rolled down her cheeks, as she choked out a sob.

Aerith quickly brought her into an embrace, wrapping her arms around her friend. She brushed her hands through Yuffie's hair, as the young ninja cried into her shoulder. "It's alright. It'll be ok." She raised Yuffie's chin to look at her. "We'll be ok."

* * *

Night had fallen over Wutai, as flickering torches illuminated the village streets. The bustling marketplace had started to settle down for the quiet evening. Stars illuminated the beautiful sky, spreading across it like a large blanket covering Wutai. Most of the group had retired early to their bedrooms, but not for Aerith and Yuffie. No, rest would have to wait for them. Instead, the two had talked for hours, discussing anything that would come to mind. It had made Yuffie feel all the more better, knowing that she could find a sister within Aerith. She was a person she could rely on, above everyone else and Yuffie cherished that.

As the darkness of the night continued on, the two grew tired. They had decided to head to sleep, getting rest for the busy day ahead of them. Although the darkness of the night would continue on, they both knew that sunrise would come in the morning and life would go on. Life would get easier. At least this is what they both told one another. This is what they wanted to believe.

Aerith made her way towards her room and opened the door, quietly creeping in, careful not to disturb the sleeping man. She closed the door behind her, but as soon as she had turned around, Cloud turned on the light, sitting up in the bed.

"Aerith?" He called out, rubbing his eyes, as they adjusted to the bright light.

"Sorry, did I wake you?" She asked, concerned.

Cloud shook his head, "No. I waited for you to come back."

Aerith smiled lightly. "You didn't have to do that, you know. You'll need your rest for tomorrow."

She sighed and sat down on the bed next to Cloud, "I was talking with Yuffie. She's really hurt. It's going to take some time for her to get over this. I think the sooner we find that flower and get out of here, the better." She started undoing the bun in her hair, letting her hair fall loose over her shoulders.

Cloud looked at her, questioning concern in his eyes. "So, you wanna tell me what's been bothering you?"

"What do you mean?"

Cloud sighed and tilted his head, "You know, you don't have to pretend that you're alright all the time. I'm here for you."

"I know, Cloud." She lightly smiled at him. "I guess, everything with Bugenhagen has had me worried lately. Not just Bugenhagen, but also what he said earlier, about the Lifestream becoming a part of me."

Cloud nodded, "I knew it. Well, don't worry. You seem to be just fine, right?"

Aerith shook her head, "But that's just it. I'm fine now, but...what if things change. Bugenhagen even said that this power within me could change me. He said my soul could be...influenced by these powers. I could become like Sephiroth. Uncaring, unfeeling, dark. Do you know how much that scares me?"

Cloud grasped her hands. "Aerith, you could never become like him. Your heart is good."

Aerith stumbled over her words, feeling a heaviness wrap around her heart. "I don't know what I'm capable of anymore. I came back to put a stop to Jenova, but I wasn't prepared for this. What if I...what if I use these powers, only to find out that I love them? What if this strength only makes me want more power? It happened to Sephiroth, it could happen to me, too. He had a taste of power and everyone fell victim to his heart of darkness. What if the same happens to me? What if my soul begins to blacken?"

Cloud sighed, unsure of what to say.

She brought her hands up to her cheeks, shaking her head. She couldn't think of what to do.

"I've lived my whole life protecting the things that have been important to me. Could I fall victim to the darkness just like Sephiroth had? It cost him everything. You can't return from the darkness." It sounded like she was almost pleading to Cloud. "I don't want to lose you again!"

He wrapped his arms around her waist pulling her close to him. He whispered against her cheek. "You are not the darkness and you sure as hell aren't Sephiroth. Your heart is filled with light. Even with this power, you're still you. You're still Aerith Gainsborough. You're still the flower girl I met long ago." He pulled back from her slightly. "We'll find a way past this, I know it."

She smiled slightly at him, "What makes you so sure?"

He returned the smile, "Because we always do."

He brought his lips down to press against hers, savoring the softness of her lips. It is amazing how a single kiss, a single act of love and devotion could completely change everything. Aerith pulled away from him and wrapped her arms around him, leaning into his strong chest.

She smiled. "We'll find a way."

* * *

Bugenhagen and Red stared off into the night, examining the large array of stars that stretched across the night sky.

"It is beautiful, isn't it, Nanaki?" Bugenhagen glanced over at his grandson, who nodded. "It is moments like this when you get the chance to see how beautiful this world, life, can really be. It is important to enjoy this moments before the opportunity is gone."

"You're right, grandfather."

"Tomorrow, we continue up the mountain pass along with your friends." Bugenhagen's lips stretched into a small smile, which seemed to almost breathe the life of a child into the elderly man's face. "We should rest. The stars can wait again until tomorrow."

Red nodded, "And when we find that flower, we'll have many more of these nights. Here, at Cosmo Canyon, all over the world. We'll be able to admire these stars wherever we go."

Bugenhagen nodded, 'Yes, Nanaki."

The two made their way inside, leaving the twinkling night stars to glow through the night.

* * *

Thanks for reading again! There wasn't too much that really happeend this chapter, just the start of a few storylines which will be evolved over the course of the next few chapters. It is a smaller chapter that is making way for some big things coming down the line. What I can say is, the next chapter will be something to look forward to.


	14. Flowers Blooming

**Chapter Fourteen - Flowers Blooming**

Morning had come and the group started to prepare themselves for the day ahead of them. There was a single flower they were looking for, a flower that had been lost to Wutai for many years. Although their chances of finding it may have been slim, there was still great hope that it would be theirs and that Bugenhagen would be healed. They knew that the day's journey would be a difficult one.

What they didn't know was just how difficult this day would soon become.

The group prepared themselves in the courtyard just outside of the marketplace. Everyone was already waiting outside, with the exception of Shera, who had already made her way off towards the Highwind to start her long day of work. Various pieces of weapons and armory scattered about the ground, as they collectively readied themselves for the day ahead of them.

"Do we really need all of this? I mean, come on! Why do we have so much of these junk weapons anyway?" Zack argued.

Cloud grabbed his Buster Sword and strapped a piece of armor onto his shoulder. "You begin traveling around the world, you accumulate a few things. Besides, we don't know what's waiting for us on Da-Chao."

Zack lifted up a rusted old sword and slashed it through the air. It wasn't what he was quite used to, but it'll have to do.

Aerith nodded, "He's right, you know. There could be fiends about. We should prepare ourselves."

Tifa stepped forward. "Are you sure you guys will be ok without us? Maybe we could come along after we're done helping Shera." She looked over at Reno, as if asking if that would be ok.

Cloud shook his head and smiled at her. "Thanks, but I think we'll be ok. There's a dozen of us looking for a single flower, I'm sure it won't be that difficult."

"Think again, Cloud." Yuffie stated, dryly.

"Well, if you guys do need help, just give us a call and we'll be there." Tifa smiled at them.

Cid rubbed the scruff on her beard. "Take care of the Highwind. That thing's a damn beauty! Oh! And Shera, too!"

Tifa turned back to him, "You're not coming with us?"

Cid shook his head, "Nah. Shera gets all uptight when I butt in on her personal work space, hoo hoo! For the sake of our marriage, it's best that I stay out from that damn cramped engine room! She'll kick me outta there in a sec!"

"Smart woman." Reno replied with a smirk.

"Yep! I'll stay back here with these guys and help 'em out! Gettin' off of that damn ship for a change wouldn't hurt, I guess!" Cid chimed in.

"Alright, we're heading off." Tifa called back to them, as she and Reno began to make their way down the path leading back towards the marketplace. "Good luck you guys! We'll see you in a bit!" With that, Tifa and Reno began to make their way off towards the Highwind for the long day of work ahead of them.

Cid turned back to them, "Now, where were we?" Cid picked up his spear, giving it a small twirl.

Yuffie raised her eyebrow, "Aren't you a bit too old to be using that, old man? Wouldn't want you to throw out your back." She thought for a moment, "Then again..."

"Eh, shut up! I might be older than the lot of you, but I can still fight just as good!"

"Here you go." Cloud glanced over at Bugenhagen, handing him a small sword. When Bugenhagen tried to hold the sword, he nearly dropped it, only capable of carrying it by dragging it along the ground.

Red looked over at Cloud, wide-eyed. "You're arming him?"

Cloud nodded. "Yes, just to be careful. Of course I'd prefer it if we'd be able to keep him safe, but we can't take our chances. ALL of us should be ready to fight fiends, monsters, whatever might be waiting on those mountains." He looked over at the elderly man. "You ever use one?"

Bugenhagen shook his head, "No, but do not worry, I am much stronger than you think. No need to worry about me. Hoo hooo hooo, so much strength and courage one could muster! I thank all of you!" He gave them a confident smile.

"Let us find the Naosu Blossom and put my ailments to an end. Time is of the essence. We must be off!" He began to lead them off towards the base of the Da-Chao mountains.

* * *

They made their way through the forests surrounding the mountains. The area was peaceful, one of the few areas of Wutai that many tourists usually did not pass through. The sun had already set its' place in the sky, casting a warmth down towards the earth.

While the group had made their way through the forest, Aerith glanced over at Yuffie briefly, noticing the small frown that had appeared on the young ninja's face. She walked over to Yuffie, tilting her head, concerned.

"Are you alright?"

Yuffie sighed, "I'm still upset about last night." She shook her head, "I'll never forgive my father for what he did, what he said. He thinks I'm an embarrassment, but he...he's uncaring in every way imaginable. Elena was right. I'm...I'm a coward."

Her voice faltered, not sounding certain, but rather like she was trying to convince herself that her words were true. "I can't be an empress. I'm not mature enough. The people won't listen to me. I've barely seen enough to know what my role in life is supposed to be, let alone a whole village. I can't expect them to bow down to me like I'm some important royal."

"Yuffie..."

Yuffie trailed a little bit further ahead of Aerith. "These people can't rely on me. They shouldn't. When they realize who I really am, they'll see me as being just the runaway materia hunter. I'm no leader."

Aerith opened her mouth to say something to Yuffie, but the young ninja was already starting to make her way up towards the rest of the group. Aerith hated seeing Yuffie like this. She had always seen the young ninja as an energetic, bubbly personality. Was she outgoing at times, of course, but this new Yuffie that she saw was something entirely different. It was a side of Yuffie that was sad and insecure. It made her heart sink to see her friend so forlorn.

Aerith knew that if there was anything Yuffie hated, it was looking like she was vulnerable. 'Coming back to Wutai really wasn't the best thing to do for her.'

The group had stopped at the base of the mountainous trail, which begin to snake its' way up the side of the cliffs, dissecting off into several directions. The mountains loomed overhead, laden with grassy overhanging cliffs, trees and mysterious caverns that blackened the secrets within.

"So? Uh, we're supposed to find a flower somewhere on there?" Zack questioned, his tone making it already apparent that the task seemed impossible.

Aerith sighed, "We never said it was going to be easy. Thinking of turning back?"

Zack gave her a face, questioning her. "You kidding me? Please. This sounds like fun!"

"What now, then?" Barret questioned the others, looking around the base of the mountain, as if spotting this flower would be the easiest thing.

"We search." Red demanded. "I doubt it would be out in the open anywhere so low on the mountain. I'm not certain, but our best chances would probably be higher up, where fewer people would tread."

"Hoo hooo hooo!" Bugenhagen cheered, "Wise decision, grandson!"

'Wait." Cloud stopped the group. "We'll split up. We'll cover more ground, increase our chances of finding the flower." The team looked at one another, no one wanting to reject the idea. It would make more sense for them to travel in several smaller groups than one large one.

Cloud nodded and looked over at Aerith. "You coming with me?"

Aerith smiled and leaned forward, "What do you think?"

"Good." He turned back to the others. "Red and Bugenhagen, you'll travel with us, as well. We'll explore the mountain trails leading up towards the summit. I don't want to head all the way up there, especially for your sake, Bugenhagen."

The elderly man nodded, "Thank you, Cloud."

Zack chimed in, "I'll take the summit along with the Turks! We need someone to kick them into shape!"

Elena laughed at him, "As if, Zack!"

Tseng spoke up, "We'll head to the summit and report any findings that we may come across. Phone us in if you find any more details." Tseng led the small group of Rude, Elena, Reeve and Zack up the side of the mountain. Zack exuberantly waved back at them and looked as if he was marching up the side of the mountain.

Yuffie rolled her eyes at his actions, "Well, he seems excited…"

Aerith laughed, "He loves a good mission, I suppose."

Barrett called out towards Cloud, "Yo, what about is, Spike? What the hell you got us doin'?"

"You, Vincent, Cid and Yuffie are going to search any out of the ordinary areas on the mountain. Caverns, the cliffs, anything unusual that you might find up there. We can't leave any stone unturned if we want to find this flower."

Yuffie moaned, "Ugh, seriously? I have to be paired up with this group? Really, Cloud? I've got the old man, a guy who likes getting dressed up in sailor suits...and...well, Vincent isn't so bad, but that's because he doesn't say anything to piss me off."

Vincent stared at Yuffie before giving her a small nod.

Aerith leaned forward and tried to persuade her friend. "Yuffie, you grew up along these mountains. You know this place better than any of us. If you can use your great skills at finding materia, you might be the key to finding this flower, too. We're counting on you. I know you can do it." She smiled at the young ninja.

Yuffie returned the smile. "Yes...you're right. I can."

She knew that she wasn't doing anything as great as leading an entire village, but if it was a small act of kindness that was going to benefit her friends, she wanted to help.

"So, it's settled then." Cloud nodded. "Let's head out. Call if you guys need anything."

"Good luck, guys!" Yuffie cheered. "We'll find this thing in no time!"

Cid yelled back at Cloud and Aerith. "And no makin' out, you two! We don't need another baby comin' along the way just yet!" He laughed his way up the mountain trail, followed by the others.

Cloud's face reddened, yelling back, "Shut up, Cid!" He turned to face Aerith, who was covering her smile with her hand. "Not you, too."

Aerith took his hand and began leading him forward, "Come on, you."

Bugenhagen turned to his grandson, "You have some wonderful friends, Nanaki. So caring and dedicated."

Red nodded, "Yes, grandfather. They are."

"I cannot thank them enough for what they are doing. Don't ever take them for granted. Even if the end was to come tomorrow, knowing that they were there to help me when I needed them most."

"Grandfather, don't talk like that!" Red pleaded, concerned. 'We'll find the flower soon and we can put this all to rest."

Bugenhagen smiled and nodded, "You're right, Nanaki. Thank you."

Bugenhagen and Red followed the other two up the separate mountain trail, leading in the opposite direction of the rest of them. The trail brought them across a beautiful vista of the village. From the mountain cliff, the village looked so far away, but still so close, almost as if they were floating over the village. It was a majestic view. The mountain trail continued to wrap around the cliff of the mountain, passing through a small forest of trees, continuing upward.

As Cloud and Red continued along the trail slightly ahead, scouring the land for any sight of the flower, Aerith watched as Bugenhagen struggled behind her. It appeared that he was having a hard time walking and was using the sword as a sort of walking stick.

Aerith walked over to him and took hold of his arm, walking him along the way. "Are you ok?"

He nodded, "Yes. Just not used to so much adventure in one day, hoo hooo hooo!" He gave a small smile to Aerith. "You're a great woman. You care for everyone and are always trying to help others."

Aerith nodded, "Of course. They're my friends. They're the most important things to me."

The two continued down the mountain trail, leading along the cliffs. Bugenhagen turned to Aerith, "You know, after all this time, Red has never told me how the two of you met. Was it in Junon? The forests surrounding Fort Condor?"

Aerith smiled, recalling the memories of how she and Red first met.

"No." She sighed, "When Red and I met a few years ago, we were both captured by Shinra."

"The Shinra?"

She nodded, "It was frightening, really. We were imprisoned inside of the specimen containment area of their main headquarters back in Midgar. It was unimaginable to think of all the secrets that Shinra had kept in that building."

"How terrible."

"I realized that Red was on our side. He was kind and considerate, a great friend. With the help from our friends', we were able to escape."

"Hm. So it seemed that the Shinra had what was coming to them."

Aerith nodded, "They did." She grasped Bugenhagen's hand, helping him along the trail. "So, this flower, do you know what it looks like? Do you have any more knowledge of it?"

He shook his head, doubtfully. "No, I'm afraid not. I'm sorry."

She smiled at him, "It's alright." She searched the mountain land, looking for any sort of blossom that stuck out.

"The Naosu Blossom is very rare. It is delicate, but strong. It is profound, but also a mystery. This single bloom represents life, entirely. You should know. Your acquaintance with flowers would surely make you understand."

She agreed, "Yes. Flowers represent beauty and purity. When I sold them in Midgar, they were truly just as rare as this flower we are after today. They brought light into a dark city. By playing a part in that, I was happy."

Bugenhagen nodded, "Life itself is like the very blossom that we speak of. It starts out as a bud, new and curious to the world around it. Then, it soon grows and blooms, it becomes beautiful, it grows stronger." He closed his eyes. "But then, the harshest winter can come and wither the blossom."

Aerith nodded, "But there is always hope that it will bloom again."

"Precisely! Hoo hooo hooo, see you do understand!" He smiled, "There is always hope that life will bloom again, much like how the energy of the Lifestream continuously flows around the current surrounding the planet. There is hope for life to continue on. Even through the darkest night, there is always a hope that a beautiful sunrise will come by the morning."

She knew that Bugenhagen spoke the truth and couldn't help but smile at his words of wisdom. He was a great source of knowledge.

"Come on. We should catch up with the others." The two continued to walk onward, following behind Cloud and Red. Aerith continued to help the limping Bugenhagen until they had caught up with the others.

* * *

Cid, Barret, Vincent and Yuffie walked along one of the trail, opposite of the other groups. The trail led around the mountain, looking away from the village of Wutai and towards the other mountain ranges and oceans that surrounded the continent.

Barret raised his good hand to his forehead and wiped away the sweat that had built. The heat of the warm day was just beginning to set in. "Damn! It's hot out!"

Yuffie glanced around for a moment. "Hmm, I think...I know where we are. There should be a small overhanging cliff up ahead. There are a series of caverns just beyond that." The young ninja led the small group off.

Cid leaned in over to Vincent and Barret, "You sure we should trust her with leadin' us? Who knows what trouble she'll get us into?!"

Barret led out a grunt. Vincent remained silent.

Yuffie turned back to them, "Hey, you jerks! Don't talk as if I can't hear you!" She gave Cid an agitated look, giving him a sigh of disapproval.

Cid threw his hands up in defense. 'Hey, don't look at us like that! I'm makin' sure your dumbass isn't leading us around in circles!"

She glared back at him. An expression hung across her facing, warning Cid that she was one that was not to be messed with right now. "I hate you so much right now. Do me a favor and don't talk to me the rest of the day. Or ever."

Cid scoffed at how childish he saw Yuffie to be, "No problems there, damn kid. You can-"

Barret cut him off and whispered, "Cid, leave the damn girl alone. She's goin' through a rough time. We don't need any more problems than the ones we got!"

Cid sighed. He knew that Barret was right and that's what made him angry. When was Barret ever the voice of reason to him!?

Vincent remained quiet, scanning the area for the flower, fiends or anything unusual. There was nothing of the sort on the mountain, just the typical rocks and dried plants that were scattered about Da-Chao's surface.

Yuffie spoke up, "This is it!" She ran up towards a cliff that hung over the edge of the mountain and peered over, searching for any signs of the flower. She ran a little bit more forward, before standing outside of the entrance to a dim, gloomy cavern. She pointed her way forward, leering into the dark depths of what waited within the chasm.

Cid spoke, with questioning unbelief, "You actually want to go in there?"

Yuffie nodded, "Uh-huh. What we're searching for could very well be in there, right?"

Vincent nodded and made his way into the cavern.

Barret turned back to them, "Well, you can sit out here and argue all you want. He's not." Barret faced the cavern. "Vincent, wait up!"

Yuffie glanced over at Cid, before walking into the cavern. The man let out a frustrated sigh, before charging his way into the cavern.

The cavern was dark and musty. There was a sense of dampness in the air and the subtle drips of water drops echoed through the cavern. The dim light from the entrance of the cavern soon faded away, leaving the group to trail through the cavern in darkness.

Cid nearly tripped over a large rock in the middle of the cavern, "Damn it! How the hell are we supposed to know where to go in this damn place!?"

Vincent led the way through the cavern, examining his surroundings. Nothing but piles of rock and fallen cavern debris had cluttered the area. Even if the flower was one in this cavern, he doubted it would still be here now.

Barret glanced over to Yuffie. "You know where we are?"

She shook her head, "'Fraid not. I remember a folk tale once started from the people of Wutai, stating that the Da-Chao mountains had many interconnected tunnels that led all throughout the mountain. Some say that they emptied out into a huge crevasse that fell all the way down to the base of the mountain. I'm not sure if it's true. I never really wanted to explore this place."

Barret sighed, "Damn. Better be careful."

The four of them continued onward through the cavern, trailing forward for countless minutes. To all of them, it seemed that they had been walking for hours, though mere seconds had only passed. They continued their walk into the unknown, into the darkness.

Cid chimed in, "We won't even be able to find the flower in this damn darkness…"

Vincent corrected, speaking for the first time that day. "We won't find it at all in here." He brought up his claw and pressed forward onto the sturdy cavern wall that stood in front of them. He pressed his ear to the wall. "Dead end."

"What a waste!" Yuffie whined.

Cid grunted, "Is that all that's in here? Damn it!" He angrily kicked the wall, letting out his frustration.

There was a low rumble that echoed throughout the cavern. The group peered around, looking through the darkness of the cavern. Above the spot where Cid had kicked, a series of small rocks started falling down.

Barret looked up, "Gimme a break."

The rocks continued falling, becoming larger, causing loud crashes throughout the cavern. The group skillfully dodged the boulders, backing away from the dead end. The cavern was slowly caving in, the walls collapsing and falling in on one another.

"Oh, shit." Cid muttered under his breath.

At once, the group turned around and started racing through the darkness, back down the same path they entered through. Their hearts raced, as their loud footsteps echoed through the cavern. Their intakes of breath were drowned out by the approaching sound of the crumbling cavern behind them. Dust and rock debris flew about around them, disorienting them.

"Come on! We gotta get out!" Barret shouted over the collapsing rocks.

They raced faster and faster through the darkness, their feet traveling faster than they could carry them. Just before them, they could see a light. The entrance of the cavern.

"God damn! We're almost out!" Cid cheered, victoriously.

The rumble of the cavern grew louder, boulders falling all around them. The entrance of the cavern was right before them. They could see the light of day.

With a quick intake of breath, Barret leaped forward and dived out of the cavern, just as he heard the rocks collapse down behind him.

Right at the entrance of the cavern, a pile of rocks and rubble came crashing down onto Vincent. He blocked his face with his claw, as the rocks pinned him down, entrapping him. The rocks continued to build up, completely sealing off the entrance to the cavern.

"Vincent!" Barret shouted.

Inside of the cavern, as the entrance was sealing off by the falling debris, a series of boulders from overhead came crashing down towards Yuffie, unaware of the falling objects. She was too concerned with finding a way out.

"Yuffie!" Cid shouted over the rumbling, before pushing the young ninja out of the way.

She fell to the ground as the series of boulders toppled down onto Cid, completely covering the man.

A searing pain shot through Cid.

It was then when everything stopped. The cavern stopped rumbling, the rocks were done falling, everything was still. For a moment, it was quiet, almost as if time had stopped.

Yuffie was starting to recover, rising to her feet, unharmed. She brushed the rock and debris off of her, before noticing the leg that stuck out from beneath the pile of rocks.

"Cid!" She gasped outwards, running over to the rocks, slowly pushing the rocks away, revealing the man beneath. He was lying on his stomach, still pinned to the ground. His body was covered with bruises and cuts. She reached out for him, "Cid, are you ok!?"

When she had touched his back, he let out a cry of pain. "Gyahhhhh!" He couldn't move. It felt like his entire back was on fire, stinging to the point where the pain had become numb. He couldn't feel anything. The pain was becoming a blur to him. "I...I can't move...anything. I...I think my back's broken."

Yuffie's eyes widened, "Cid, no!" She glanced around, before looking over at the entrance. "Don't worry, I'll-I'll get help!" She ran her way over to the entrance of the cave, trying to pry away the piling rocks, but it was no use. They were lodged in tight and she was simply not strong enough to move them.

"Barret! Vincent! Anyone!"

"Yuffie, you in there?" Barret's voice came muffled from behind the rocks. "You ok!?"

"I'm fine." Yuffie desperately shouted, "Cid's hurt, though! He can't move! We need help."

"Vincent! Are you alright?!"

Vincent's voice came from beneath the rubble. "I'm fine. I cannot move, but I am in no danger."

Barret shouted, his voice shaking with fear and concern. "You guys hang tight! I'm gonna call the others!" He pulled out his phone to see that Cloud had already tried calling him, but the call had never gone through. "Damn. This is bad. Really bad."

Back inside of the cavern, Yuffie was searching the cavern for anything that could pry the rock entrance open. The cold dampness of the cavern was starting to unnerve her, a shiver tingling down her spine.

Cid grunted through the pain that tore through his entire body. "Damn, man. If we don't get help soon, I'll be done for. There's no use."

Yuffie glanced back at him, replying under her breath. "Don't talk that way. You'll get through this." She gave an exasperated sigh. "I'm going to be angry with you for years to come." She got up and continued to search through the cavern, looking for anything that they could use to their advantage.

Cid opened his mouth to say something, but the words never came. He rested his head back down and stared at the rock ceiling of the cavern. He wondered when he would be rescued or if he ever WOULD be rescued.

Moments later, he began to wonder when his body would give into his injuries. He began to wonder when he would die.

* * *

Cloud, Aerith and Red made their way up the mountain trail, Bugenhagen falling slightly behind. From the look of the sky, dark clouds started to appear overhead. The bright day was starting to fade, as the overcast sky came rolling through.

Red pondered for a moment, examining the sky. "A storm is coming."

When he looked up towards the sky, Cloud let out a frustrated groan. "We can't find that flower anywhere! This was harder than I thought." He continued to scan the area, finding nothing but dead plant leaves and roots.

"Don't worry." Aerith reassured him, "We'll find it."

Then, there was a sudden rumble. The mountain beneath them shook. It felt as though an earthquake had struck, but from the looks of the village below, it was only the mountain that had become a victim to the violent quakes. It felt as something was churning, sputtering from inside of the mountain, itself.

Cloud took hold of Aerith's shoulders, making sure she stood securely and would not fall. Instinctively, she held onto his arms and looked around.

Red looked around, "What's happening?"

The vibrations grew more violent still, until all had quieted. It seemed as though nothing had happened at all. The three looked around for a moment.

Cloud's eyes squinted and glanced around the mountain ranges. "What the hell was that?"

From behind them, they heard a rustle and turned around to see Bugenhagen approaching them.

Red stared back at him, "Grandfather, are you alright?"

The older man nodded, "Ehm, quite fine, actually. Did you feel that?"

Aerith nodded, "Yeah, I wonder what it was."

Cloud took out his phone and began dialing Barret's number, "I should call the others and make sure that everyone's alright." The soldier continued to walk ahead, Red trailing behind him.

Bugenhagen walked towards Aerith, slightly unsheathing the sword that he had carried as a walking stick. He made his way up towards the woman with ease.

It was then that Aerith noticed something. "You're...certainly walking better."

Bugenhagen bowed his head, "Are you surprised?"

She answered honestly, "Well, a little. I was walking hand in hand with you for almost the entire trek up. I didn't know you had that much strength left in you. I would have let you take the lead." She let out a small giggle, jokingly.

A small smile appeared across the man's face. "Oh, you'd be surprised. I'm much stronger than you think." He pushed his way past Aerith and continued up the path, his sword still in hand.

Aerith stood there for a moment before turning back to follow them. She knew that something seemed a little off, but she couldn't quite figure out what it was.

Aerith caught up to Bugenhagen and walked at his side. When she had offered him her assistance, he shunned her and refused. She remained at his side, quietly walking in pace with him.

The elderly man spoke up, "So, your enemy, Jenova. You're trying to stop her? You're going to intervene her plans?"

Aerith nodded, "Of course. She massacred my race. She killed me once already. She wants to destroy this entire world and she won't stop until she does."

Bugenhagen nodded, 'How tragic."

She turned to him, "The worst part is, Jenova's mind is so corrupted by darkness...that she actually believes that what she is doing is good." She sighed, "She wants to hurt people. She only knows how to destroy and ruin lives. That's all she's ever done."

The older man turned to her, "And what do you plan to do?"

"There's something that I lost long ago when I died. I'm getting it back. I know that she'll try and get in my way, but it's my best chance to stop her destruction."

He turned away.

She sighed, "It's just...taking me longer than I expected."

Bugenhagen spoke up, "Well, it warms my heart to see all of your friends so determined to help you. My grandson, erhm...um...,ahem...oh my! Surely, I mustn't be as old as to think that I have forgotten my own grandson's name!"

She turned to him, "Nanaki." She gave him a small, confused smile, her eyebrow raised, as she shook her head at him.

She thought to herself, 'That was odd.' He may have been hundreds of years older than them, but his mind was sharper and filled with more knowledge than anyone on the planet. He was not one to let even forget the smallest detail, which is why Aerith thought that his actions seemed very unlike him.

The elderly man shook his head, "Right, of course. Nanaki. My old age must be catching up to me!" He let out a small chuckle. "No need to fret, my dear. My mind is where it should be. Nanaki has told me all about your adventures together, trailing down Jenova, when Hojo had imprisoned the two of you..."

She turned back to face him, "What?"

The older man nodded, "At the Shinra Headquarters, before the president was killed by Sephiroth's blade...when you and Nanaki first met…Remember?"

Aerith straightened; a small frown appeared across her face. Realization had struck her. Sadness and confusion came to her at once.

"I never told you that..."

It was impossible for Bugenhagen to know details of the story that Aerith never once mentioned to him.

Bugenhagen lowered his head, before stuttering, his voice a whisper. "My apologies. I must have...learned about it elsewhere."

Aerith remained still, looking off into the distance, her heart heavy. In one instant, she grabbed the sword the elderly man was holding, unsheathed it and pressed the tip of the blade against the man's neck, catching him by surprise.

Her eyes watered, as she firmly held the sharp blade against the man. "You..."

The older man stared at Aerith, expressionless.

Aerith's face contorted in anger, as she gritted through her teeth.

"Jenova, your dark powers are disguising you, but it IS you..."

The older man nodded, "Yes, it is me. Aren't you a clever one, Cetra?"

Aerith placed the sword firmly against Jenova's neck. "What have you done to Bugenhagen?"

Jenova laughed, "Oh, he's somewhere along the mountain, enduring a painful death. I'm just making good by putting the old man out of his misery. You really should thank me."

Aerith shook her head, building rage within her. "If this is what you call good, I have no choice but to stop you."

Jenova had reared back, her disguised form as Bugenhagen still intact. She brought up her palm and outstretched her fingers, a powerful force of energy building up within her grasps.

Aerith lifted up her own hand and felt a different source of energy building up within her. 'The power of the Lifestream.' From within her palm, a glowing green energy formed and encircled her hand. It felt powerful. The orb of energy was contained within her grasps. Something overtook her body and in that moment, she didn't care. All that mattered was putting an end to Jenova, no matter how she would have to use these powers.

Aerith raised her hand to attack, "Haven't we both suffered enough?"

"No." Jenova sneered. "You continue your attempts to put a stop to me when it would be so much easier for you to submit. Why?"

Aerith stated determinedly, "You destroyed so many lives. You want to destroy this world. I won't allow you to win!"

"Well, you had better prepare yourself for the chaos in this world to ensue. Even the White Materia cannot keep you safe forever." She stated, darkly, "Everything I want will come to pass."

Aerith demanded, "And what's that?" Her voice trembled.

Jenova laughed, childishly. "I want what I've wanted all along..."

Aerith stood her ground, stance firm, ready to attack.

"...your death."

Jenova pulled her arm back, rearing up to send the impulse of energy towards the young woman. "Goodbye, Aerith."

Aerith stepped forward, raised the blade of the sword and deflected the attack, cutting Jenova's arm. The creature let out a sharp yell, clutching her bleeding arm.

Aerith paused for a moment, glancing at the red liquid on the edge of the sword's blade. 'Did I...really just do that?' It felt as though something overtook her body, like something entirely different commanded her actions. She snapped out of her thoughts when Jenova straightened, causing the flower girl to point the sword towards the creature's disguise.

She warned, "That was a warning. My next move won't be."

"Aerith! What are you doing?!"

She heard Cloud shout behind her.

She turned back to face Jenova, knowing too well that her disguise was only confusing Cloud and Red. Her nostrils flared, her brows knitting closer together. Her eyes gleamed, rage within them. "I...will not let you do this!"

Aerith forcefully extended out her arm, sending out an impulse that sent Jenova flying back.

Jenova hit the ground hard, the frail body that she was possessing being too weak for such an attack. She lifted her head, wide-eyed. "Impossible. You-you bitch!"

Aerith approached Jenova. She raised her palm again, feeling the same source of energy building up within her grasps. She hated to admit it to herself, but this new power felt incredible to her. She enjoyed it, but was terrified all at once.

"Aerith!" Cloud called out again.

Jenova rose to her feet. "I've had enough of this. I can kill you and have my revenge when this entire, pitiful world is destroyed." She smiled, wickedly. "I think I'll start with this pleasant, little village."

Before anyone could react, Jenova was gone, making her way down towards Wutai.

"Jenova! Stop!" Aerith called after the creature.

Cloud ran forward, "That's what this was all about!? Jenova? That was Jenova?!"

Aerith suddenly felt light-headed, almost as if she was snapped out of a trance of sorts. If Cloud had not been there to hold her still, she would have fallen. She shook her head, confused.

"What was...that wasn't me..." It was then when she realized how terrified she was of this power. It felt as though something had changed her, she had become an entirely different person.

"Are you alright?" Cloud looked at her concerned, gripping onto her shoulders.

Her eyes widened and she gasped when she remembered, "Bugenhagen!" She turned around, running off in the direction that they had come in. The other two followed behind her.

Red shouted, as he sprinted down the mountain trail. "Grandfather! What did she do to grandfather!?"

They continued back down the mountain trail. Rain was starting to fall from the sky, as distant echoes of thunder could be heard beyond the mountain range.

They found Bugenhagen just a little further down along the mountain, at the base of a lonesome, bare tree. The man was lying on his back, looking towards the sky. There was a deep gash across his chest, his robe torn, blood seeping from within the wound, trickling down his body.

"Bugenhagen?!" Aerith called out and rushed over to his side.

"Grandfather!" Red went over to his grandfather's side, his head resting on the elderly man's arm.

Bugenhagen slowly turned his head to face his grandson. "Nanaki..." His voice was a whisper, filled with astonishment that his grandson was there before him. "I didn't think you'd find me. That...that creature attacked me..." He exhaled deeply, his gasps for breath coming few and far between.

"This is bad." Cloud shook his head. "Let me tell the others." He took out his phone and saw that he had a message from Barret. He brought the phone up to his ear and intently began listening to the message.

Aerith knelt down beside Bugenhagen, brushing a hand across his forehead. She gently soothed, "Here. Hold still. This might sting a little."

She brought her hand up to the gash across his chest, hesitating from the sharp look of pain that appeared across Bugenhagen's face. Soon, a soothing green mist appeared from beneath her palm. The green light protruding from her hand soon faded.

When she removed her hand, she saw that his wound closed slightly, but was not healed. Blood continued to seep through the man's wound. Aerith lowered her eyes and let out a disappointed sigh.

Red looked over to her, worriedly. He let out a small whimper. "Is he going to be alright?" His voice sounded desperate and heart-broken, like a small child that had just been lost from their parent.

Aerith was unsure of what to say. As much as she wanted to reassure her friend, she could not be certain what was to happen. Still, she pushed on. "Let me find that flower. We can still save him."

"Aerith, it's impossible. We have groups of us searching the mountain and we haven't found a thing."

"Don't give up hope." She gave him a small reassuring smile, patting him on his head. She glanced over at Bugenhagen, "Keep that hope alive and we can find that flower. Trust me."

Red nodded.

Cloud halted her, "Wait. Things are worse than they seem. Barret left me a message. While he and the others were exploring the caverns, there was a cave-in."

Aerith's eyes widened, "Are they alright?"

Cloud shook his head, doubtfully. "No, Barret's fine, but Vincent is stuck beneath the cavern debris. Yuffie and Cid are actually stuck in the cavern, itself."

She felt her heart sink, "Oh, no..."

Cloud lowered his head, "And Cid's hurt. He can't move. He thinks his back might be broken."

She looked at Cloud, tears welling up in her eyes. "Cloud, what do we do? First Jenova, then Bugenhagen, now the rest of our friends..."

Cloud took hold of her shoulders, staring determinedly into her eyes. "There's no time for that. Let's find that flower. We might not be able to save him, but that doesn't mean we can't try!" Cloud took hold of Aerith's hand. "Red, look after Bugenhagen!" He led Aerith up the trail, his pace fast, leaving her to trail slightly behind him.

The sky continued to open up, rain beginning to pour down.

While the two quickly made their way back up the mountain trail, Aerith glanced over at Cloud.

"But what about our friends?"

Cloud opened his mouth to reply, but didn't say a word. He felt that he always knew what to do, even in precarious situations. He always found a way to work through the struggles and find a solution to their problems, no matter how great.

But now, Cloud didn't know what to do in the slightest.

* * *

Jenova walked through the marketplace plaza of Wutai, disguised as the elderly man. People pushed past her, unaware of the monstrous creature that remained masked behind the pleasant visage of this older man. People continued their day like it was any other. Citizens, tourists, children and workers alike, made their way along the streets, continuing their ordinary lives.

She grinned, thinking of the rather serious predicament that the Ancient and her friends faced while on the mountains of Da-Chao. 'You want to put an end to me? I gave you your chance and you didn't take it.'

She raised her hand, a fiery orb, almost like a meteor, appeared from within her palm. 'Now, it's my turn.' She thrust out her hand, sending the orb flying into one of the buildings. The meteorite impacted the building, causing a massive explosion within. Anyone that was within the building was now certainly dead.

People screamed in horror and shock, quickly making their way out of the buildings, fleeing the marketplace.

Jenova grinned at the immense terror that gleamed within the peoples' eyes. She loved it. So much terror, so much fear and she was the cause of all of it. She raised her hand again, summoning another fiery inferno, sending it into another building. Fire and smoke filled the marketplace, as the building were slowly starting to burn from the creature's chaos.

Her disguised form soon gave way to her natural, blue-skinned, red-limbed appearance. She continued her massacre throughout the village, sending fiery impulses throughout the buildings, burning and sending them to the ground. People fled in terror for their lives; completely unaware that such a tragic thing could happen to their peaceful village.

Jenova smiled to herself as the burning marketplace. Just moments ago, it was a bustling tourist plaza and now, it was slowly starting to burn to the ground. She could not count the people that could have died within the last few moments. To Jenova, it wasn't enough.

She brutally murdered anyone who stood in her path, sending them flying through the fiery infernos, ending their lives. She made her way to the central courtyard of Wutai, she would continue her onslaught of chaos and destruction throughout the village, tearing apart more lives, bringing about more pain and inflicting more death.

And no one was even able to put up a fight.

* * *

From the edge of the mountain peaks, Zack and the Turks were having the same amount of luck finding the flower as the others were.

Elena brushed her damp hair from her face. "This is useless. We'll never find it this way." She looked back over to Rude and Tseng, the two of them remaining silent.

"Let's move on." Reeve suggested, leading the way towards the peak of the mountain.

A sudden blast was heard in the distance, causing the group to stare about for a moment, wondering what the source of the explosion was.

Zack looked over the mountain cliff, looking back down towards the village. "What...?" His eyes widened.

The entire village was going up in flames. Pillars of smoke and fire rose into the sky, sending black smog hovering over Wutai. When the rest of the team looked over the mountain edge, their reactions were all the same; that of confusion and horror.

Elena covered her mouth, whispering, "What could have done this?"

It didn't matter now. At this point, it had already happened and they were left to recuperate.

Zack turned back to them, "I'm going." He began to make his way back down the trail, leading off towards the village.

"You're...you're going down there? Are you crazy!? You could get yourself killed again!" Elena questioned Zack, disbelief in her voice. Elena knew that Zack was the type that would want to help out, but his actions now seemed absolutely delusional.

"They're in trouble down there and they need our help!" Zack stated directly, his intentions clear to the rest of them. "Now, you can stay up here for all I care or you can actually do something good for a change and help out!" He didn't wait for their reply. He had already started to sprint his way back down the mountain towards the village.

Tseng stepped forward, "He's right. We should go."

Elena looked at him, surprised. "Really?"

"We talked about the Turks doing good from here on out, right? Maybe this is where we begin." Tseng ran back down the mountain, following Zack. It didn't take long for Elena, Reeve and Rude to follow and make their way down towards the blazing village.

* * *

Aboard the Highwind, Tifa and Reno had been assisted Shera for most of the day. The three were working in the engine room, along with a few of the other crew men. With so many people crowded in one small room, everyone felt a bit uncomfortable, their temperature of the room rising.

Shera walked past a few of the engine tanks, observing the progress of each separate mechanism. She had a clipboard in hand, checking off their progress. "The RT-97 engine valve should be shut in a few minutes. The main HW-05 engines have also been fully inspected, so we can check those off the list." She made a mark down on one of the pieces of paper, rubbing her pregnant stomach afterwards.

Reno wiped the sweat from his brow, "Damn, I never knew the diagnostics of a damn jet took so much work!"

"Surprising, right?" Shera smiled, "I never let Cid go anywhere without making sure that everything is in proper working order! Don't worry, though. We only have a few more minor things to do."

Reno stepped outside of the engine room, spotting Tifa on the phone in the Maintenance Bay. He sheepishly stepped up to her, a perplexed look on her face. "Everything ok?"

Tifa turned back to face him, "Yeah, I'm trying to get a hold of Cloud and Barret, but no one's picking up. I hope everything's alright." She began to worry slightly.

She didn't know it at the time, but she had every reason to be concerned.

Reno looked outside of one of the Highwind's windows and examined the intense rain that fell from the sky. The water falling down the glass window blurred the image outside of the plane. "Ehh, I wouldn't be too worried about it. The storm's probably cutting off the signal."

Tifa smiled nervously at him, "Yeah, you're probably right. I always get myself worked up when things like this happen." She pushed the thoughts out of her mind.

Reno smiled cockily at her, "So I've seen."

Tifa lightly slapped the man in the shoulder, before giving him a playful grin. She wrapped her arms around the slender man's waist, leading him back into the engine room.

"Well, I guess this day isn't going so bad." Reno smiled down at the young woman, latching onto him. He ran a hand through his tied back red hair. "I'd much rather be in here with you than out there in that mess with the others, heh heh."

Shera scolded the two of them, "Alright you two, enough of that. We have more work to do."

Tifa separated herself from Reno and gave Shera a sheepish grin. "Sorry."

Shera lifted up her clipboard and examined her papers, "Ok, so next we have to..." She paused. "…"

Reno looked over at her, curious. "Shera?"

Shera looked back at him, then to the clipboard. "Right, sorry. Next, we…...have to..."

Again, she paused. A pain shot through her. She had the urge to scream, but when opened her mouth, a whispered gasp came out. The pain inside of her was immense. She dropped the clipboard to the floor, clutching her stomach.

Tifa ran over to her, grabbing the woman's arm. "Shera! Are you alright!?"

Shera felt like she couldn't speak, her breaths coming in quick gasps for air. "No..." Her eyes began to water from the severe pain that pierced through her. She grabbed onto her stomach tighter, struggling to speak. Her voice sounded panicked, "I...I think...the baby's coming…"

Tifa looked down at Shera's stomach, "What!?"

"The baby's coming!" Another shot of pain pierced through her body, causing her to let out a cry of pain.

Tifa grabbed the woman's arm, "We have to get you to a doctor! Come on, Reno!" The man gabbed Shera's other arm, helping her out of the engine room. The two of them walked Shera down through the Maintenance Room and towards the exit hatch that led outside of the Highwind.

When the three had emerged from the Highwind, they made their way down the metal ramp that led towards the base of Wutai. It was then that they noticed the devastation ahead. The entire village was going up in flames.

Reno gasped, "What the..."

"What happened here?" Tifa's voice caught in her throat.

Another set of explosions blasted throughout the village, causing the three to nearly lose their balance from the sheer force of the impulses. Tifa's thoughts were interrupted by Shera's cry of pain. The woman had squeezed Tifa's hands to the point where her knuckles had become white.

Reno turned around, forcing the women back into the Highwind. "Come on, we gotta get her out of here! It's too dangerous!"

"But what about our friends! They could be stuck in there!" Tifa questioned, worriedly.

"We don't have time for that! If they are in there, I'm sure that they will be fine!" Another explosion echoed from the city, as screams of terror rung throughout the air. "Shera is about to have a baby! We have to deal with one problem at a time! We gotta get inside NOW!" Reno was in no mood for arguing and dragged Tifa and Shera back into the Highwind.

Tifa led Shera over to a chair, where the pregnant woman panted, breathlessly, cries of pain continuing to echo throughout the cockpit. Tifa held out her hand to Shera, "It's alright, Shera. You're doing great."

Shera grasped onto Tifa's hand so tightly, to the point where it felt like it could have fallen off. "Ngghhhhhhhhhhh!" She remained there, her breaths coming faster and faster, feeling her contractions coming closer together.

As soon as Reno hit the cockpit, he instantly assembled the small crew of the three men onboard. "Alright men, we got an issue! Your supervisor is about to pop out a baby and it's way too dangerous in Wutai! We have to get Shera to a doctor as soon as possible! Do any of you know how to fly this heap of junk from place to place without killing us!?"

One of the crew men stepped forward, "Of course, sir! I am his co-pilot! Cid would not allow us aboard the ship if we didn't know these things!"

Another of the crew men stepped forward, "The nearest town to Wutai is Rocket Town across the sea! If we left now, we should be there shortly!"

Reno questioned, "Are you sure we'll be able to fly if we haven't finished everything in the engine room?"

The crew member nodded, "Yes sir, those operations were of minimal importance at best!"

"Well, then what the hell are we waiting for? That settles it! We're headin' for Rocket Town! Shera hold on tight!"

"Oh, believe me; she's doing a good job at it." Tifa looked down at her slowly whitening hand, as Shera squeezed and held on for dear life.

Reno faced each of the crew men, addressing each of them. "Alright co-pilot, take your position and get ready to depart!"

"Yes, sir!"

He addressed the next one, "You, proceed to the engine room and make sure that everything is ready to operate!"

"Yes, sir!

Reno approached the final crew man, "You..."

The crew man saluted, awaiting his designated position.

Reno stuttered, "You...you can make me a sandwich. Just get the hell out of here! Do something productive with yourself."

"Yes, sir…"The crew man slumped away, feeling upset with his sorry excuse of a position.

He stepped up towards the front of the cockpit, "Hm, being a leader isn't so hard. I'm a natural." He felt the engines of the Highwind begin to roar, signaling that they would soon be taking off into the sky.

Tifa couldn't help but smile, even in their precarious situation. Reno's assertive authority and his determination to help Shera brought a glowing smile across her face.

It was moments like this when she realized how much she liked...loved...Reno.

Reno turned back to Shera. "Don't worry. We'll get there soon."

Tifa remained by Shera's side, being that sense of support for the pregnant woman to hold onto, helping her through the pregnancy. "You're doing great, Shera! Keep breathing in and out!"

Shera let out another painful cry that echoed through the ship.

* * *

Barret tried pushing the falling rocks away at the entrance of the cavern to rescue his friends, but it was no use. His hand and the gun grafted into his arm could not get a firm grasp on the rocks and only provided more trouble to the dangerous challenge.

"Don't worry, guys. I'll get you out of there!" His voice wavered. Even he sounded unsure of his own words.

He felt a small vibration in his pocket and quickly removed his phone to see that a call from Tifa was coming through. He flipped open the phone.

"Tifa?"

The phone's other line was static, Tifa's voice just barely audible over the noise. Barret tried listening intently to the message, but could only hear small pieces of it.

"Barret...Wut-...troub...Shera's...hav-..baby...We 're ta...Highwind...Rock-...wn."

Barret's eyes widened. While the message was certainly difficult to understand, he was sure he heard one thing.

Shera's having the baby.

"Tifa? Tifa!?" Barret called into the phone, but the line had already gone dead. "Dammit!"

Barret leaned over towards the cluttered entrance of the cavern and called out. "Cid! Shera's going into labor! The baby is on the way!"

Inside of the cavern, Cid faced up. "WHAT?" He tried to lean up, a sharp pain racing through him. It felt like something was tearing him apart from the inside out. "I...I have to go to her! I have to be there for my kid!" He tried to get off his back, but the pain intensified. He fell back down onto his back, unable to move.

Yuffie rushed over to him, "Cid! You can't! You're hurt." She desperately tried to plead to Cid.

"That's my damn flesh and blood! I can't let Shera go through this alone. It's my kid we're talkin' about!"

Yuffie shook her head. "I understand, Cid, but there's nothing we can do. You're hurt and I'm not going to let you do anything stupid." She quickly countered, kneeling down beside him.

The worst part was, he knew that she was right. There was nothing he could even attempt to do in his current condition.

Cid gritted through his teeth, an angry expression across his face. "Why do you even care? If you left me behind and found an escape for yourself, you wouldn't even have to worry about me."

She looked down at him, a brief glimmer of sincerity flashing in her eyes. She sighed, "Because you're like family. As much as I can get angry with you, that doesn't mean I don't care about you."

Her voice was a mere whisper, quiet against the vast cavern. "There's nothing more important than family."

Cid remained quiet. He didn't think Yuffie would ever say anything like this, especially to him.

He tried to speak, but found that the words got caught in his throat. His voice was rasp and hoarse, though he wasn't sure if it was because of the pain or the feelings that were swelling inside of him.

"You know, ever since we got stuck in here...I thought I was gonna die...I still do. There are...a lot of things I want to say." Cid muttered, his voice a quiet whisper due to the pain that tore through him.

"Cid..." Yuffie muttered.

He looked up into Yuffie's eyes, "I've chased my dreams my entire life; goin' to space, buildin' these ships, doin' all sorts of things I never thought I'd do."

Yuffie heard him let out a small sniff. She noticed the small tear that fell down his cheek.

Cid, himself, could not remember the last time that he had cried. He had felt changed. He had felt that being stuck in this cavern had not only been a burden, but also a blessing in disguise.

"After being stuck in here, I've realized...I've been...carrying onto anger for things that...don't even matter anymore." His eyes lowered, averting his gaze from Yuffie. "When I think that...I'll never see Shera again...I'll never hold my kid in my arms...it makes all the arguing and anger pointless when you're about to lose what really matters."

Yuffie turned away from Cid, her back slightly facing him. She did not want him to see the tears falling from her eyes.

"I guess dyin' makes you realize what's important. If I never get to be with my family again, I wanna make sure that they'll be ok. Shera, the baby...you..."

Yuffie looked over her shoulder at him. Her voice was low. "That's the first time you've ever said that I was like family." Her voice cracked, a quiet sob escaping. She turned back away from him.

He nodded, "I know. I'm sorry." He felt tears more steadily fall from his cheeks. He was slowly starting to lose his grip on reality, his body almost accepting death. "If I never get to see my kid...I want you to know that...having you be like a daughter to me...would have been enough."

Yuffie felt the warm sting of the tears slip from her eyes, a small sniff escaping. It was that semblance of a family that she had been looking for and now, she felt as though it was going to be taken away again. Cid felt like a father to her, more so than her real father had ever been.

She wouldn't admit it, but both she and Cid believed that this would be his last hour and that terrified her. The thought of losing Cid was too much for her to bear, something she didn't realize until it was already too late.

She stumbled over her words, her voice remaining low. "I never thought you had that in you." She still sat there, facing away from him, as quiet sobs continued to escape her lips.

Cid slowly brought his hand next to Yuffie, outstretching his palm towards her. His tears fell down his face, lip trembling. "Please. I don't want to die alone."

Yuffie glanced over her shoulder at him, visible tears streaming down her face. She choked out in a low tone; her head hung low, a sulk across her face, almost like an upset child.

"I'm still angry..." She was barely able to get the words out.

Cid whispered, "I know."

The two of them had spent years angry with one another, but there was also a deep care within them both that neither one of them knew existed. They spent years frustrated with one another for insignificant reasons and to both of them, none of that mattered anymore.

She took hold of Cid's hand, surprising the older man. She squeezed his hand tightly and turned around, placing her head down onto his chest.

She buried her head into his chest, letting her tears fall as she continued to sob.

The two continued to hold onto one another, never parting their hands once. This was family. This was love. If Yuffie only had a few more minutes left of it with Cid, she would not let it go unclaimed.

The two remained in the cavern, quietly consoling one another until the end would come.

* * *

Zack had made his way back down towards the village, soon followed by each of the Turks.

It wasn't until they made it into the central courtyard of the village that they discovered the true devastation. The buildings had crumbled to the ground, burning in a large inferno of flames. The marketplace was crumbling, some buildings remaining intact, while others were ablaze. Yuffie's house, the ruler's palace, was burning to the ground, pieces of debris and Wutain architecture, falling as the building continued to blacken and char.

A citizen ran from behind them, escaping the danger. "He's dead! Lord Godo is dead!" His cries alerted the other citizens, sending a chill down their spines. "Wutai has fallen!"

The words seemed to echo throughout the village, casting a gloom that hung over the villagers' heads like a dark shadow.

Zack spotted the countless bodies that littered the floor; burned, disfigured and bloodied. There were so many of them, too many of them to count. His voice was a hushed whisper, "What could have done something like this...?"

Another loud explosion was ignited, calling the attention of Zack and the other Turks. They ran forward to find the source of the chaos, when they should have known better all along.

"You did this." Zack's eyes glared, staring at the evil being before him.

"Jenova." Elena muttered. "That twisted bitch!"

The other remained silent, particularly Rude. While Rude was always the quiet type, after his previous encounter with Jenova back at the Shinra Headquarters, he wasn't so willing to participate in a rematch.

Zack cried out, "Jenova! You'll pay for this!"

The grotesque creature turned around to face the group. "Oh, the contrary. My wrath is just beginning. Wutai has met my destruction first, but soon, this entire world will be destroyed and I will move to a new realm, where my wrath will repeat itself again."

"We won't let that happen." Zack gritted through his teeth, determinedly.

"You're so certain?" She let out a childish, eerie laugh. "Well then, you had best say your farewells to your friends. They can't be kept safe forever, particularly the Cetra. If she'll try and destroy me, I'll-"

"You won't do a thing! We will defeat you, we will protect Aerith and good will win!"

Jenova let out another laugh, before sneering darkly. "I am good."

They understood then. Jenova's mind and heart was so corrupted, she actually believed she was doing the world a favor.

"I will put this sickening world out of its misery, out of its pain. I will end this planet's torture and be the savior that can save this world from its ultimate demise."

She turned her back to them, "Well, I've had enough of this. I think my work here is done. You can be with your friends...if they'll survive." She made her way off, disappearing within moments.

Zack gritted between his teeth, "Damn. She escaped. We could have ended it right here." Though, in his mind, he doubted that he would have been able to defeat Jenova by himself.

Reeve called his attention, "What do we do about this?" He pointed towards the countless burning buildings and the amount of destruction happening throughout the village.

The destruction of Wutai was unstoppable. It looked nothing like the former beautiful village that once stood in the place of this devastated land.

Zack took a quick glance around before speaking, "We'll help out here! There might be people that have to be saved. They might need us to help out around the village! We'll find some way to lend a hand around here."

The Turks nodded at Zack's request and made their way through the village. Now that Jenova was gone, the chaos had started to settle down, leaving the people of Wutai to fully witness the creature's destruction.

The damage was done and now, Wutai was left with nothing but the hope of recovery.

* * *

The Highwind hovered over Rocket Town, picking up the dirt and dust from the rapid movement of the jet's propellers. Moments later, the jet made a smooth landing down at the edge of the small village. The entrance latch on the side of the Highwind opened, as Reno and Tifa stepped out, their arms linked with Shera, carefully leading her down the steps.

"Home sweet home, right Shera?" Reno smirked.

"Ngyahhhhh!" Shera let out another cry of pain, feeling as though the baby would be coming at any second, squeezing both of their hands until her knuckles turned white. Sweat dripped down her face, feeling light-headed, as if she would pass out at any given moment.

Tifa wiped the sweat from Shera's face. "Keep breathing, Shera. You're doing great! We're almost at the hospital." The two led Shera through the village, towards Rocket Town's central medical clinic.

Shera continued to breath and pant, feeling the immense pain with each step she took. If Tifa and Reno had not been there to hold her up, she thought that she probably wouldn't have even been able to move at all. All she cared about right then was making sure that her baby would be safe and that this pain would soon be over.

Shera's cries of pain alerted several of the townspeople, all whom gave the three a worried, yet slightly amused look.

"You know, when I woke up this morning, I knew that today was gonna be a rough day. I didn't expect anything like this, though!"

They had made their way inside of the village's clinic and Tifa instantly alerted the building's receptionist. "We need to see a doctor immediately! She's about to have a baby!"

The receptionist instantly contacted the nurses of the clinic, who soon appeared in the lobby, escorting Shera off towards one of the delivery rooms. Tifa began to follow the nurses towards the room, before turning back to Reno.

He smiled at her warmly. "Don't worry. I think I'll wait out here. Not sure if I'll be able to stomach what I might see in there."

She rolled her eyes and playfully sighed, "Men."

"Hey. Shera's about to scream until she passes out. If I go in there, that might be the same for the both of us." Reno joked.

They were interrupted by the sounds of Shera's painful cries from down the hall.

Reno looked towards the direction of the scream, "Speaking of. You should go in there. She'll need someone's hand to tear off."

Tifa gave him a small smile, "Thanks, sweetie. You're so charming." She gave him a light kiss on the cheek before turning down the hall. "If you need anything, you know where to find me."

"Believe me, with that screaming, it'll be hard to lose track of you two."

* * *

Cloud and Aerith continued their hike up the mountain trail, the steady rain falling over them. Their clothes were soaked through and had become dirtied from the tiring trek up the mountain paths. The roll of thunder echoed from the distance.

Cloud stepped onto a particularly wet rock on the trail, slipping and falling down to his knees. Dots of mud splashed up onto his face. "Damn it!"

Aerith crouched down in front of him, looking at him with concern in her eyes. "You ok?" She brought her hands up to his face, gently brushing away the mud with her fingertips.

Cloud felt embarrassed and frustrated. Most of all, he was upset that both he and Aerith were conflicted with finding some resolve that would help their friends.

Aerith took his hand and pulled him to his feet. She gave him a reassuring smile, one that he always loved seeing across her face. It spread warmth through him and made him truly believe that everything was going to be alright.

"Come on, let's go." She pushed her loose damp hair over her shoulder, turning around. She pointed forward, "I think the summit should be up ahead."

Cloud got to his feet and kicked the rock out of his way, feeling a bit better to get his pent up frustration out. What he saw beneath the rock surprised him.

"Is that..."

Aerith turned back to Cloud to see what he was so fixated on. In the small indentation that was left by the rock for presumably many years, she saw a small white carnation. The flower's petals and stem were slightly wilted, but there was no mistaking the beauty of it. It was simplistic, but pure and beautiful.

Aerith knelt down and gently plucked the flower from the muddy earth, brushing off some of the dirt. "We found it!" Her eyes gleaming brightly, a wide smile across her face.

Cloud felt a grin spread across his own face. "Come on. Let's get back to the others!"

He grasped her hand and led her back down the mountain. There two continued their sprint back down the trail, a smile across both of their faces. The rain continued to pour down from the sky, but neither one of them cared. They had done what everyone thought couldn't be done. It was their moment of victory; of proving that they could do the impossible. There was hope that the two of them never let die.

The two of them had returned to the spot where they had left Bugenhagen and Red, surprised to find that Barret had made his way over to them. Red was resting his head down onto Bugenhagen's bloody chest. Bugenhagen looked asleep, but the two could tell that the elderly man was still hanging on, if only just barely.

"Barret? What are you doing here?" Aerith exclaimed, running up the man and wrapping her arms around his big frame, relieved that he was alright.

"I found these two when trekking back down the trail looking for help." Barret explained, "You found that damn flower?"

Cloud nodded, "We did. After we heal Bugenhagen, we could go to the caverns and help the others. We'll get through this."

Bugenhagen begin to stir, slightly.

Barret sighed, "Man, I don't know. When I left them, Yuffie said Cid was in really bad shape. Not able to move, nothin'. If we don't hurry, I'm 'fraid he'll..."

Aerith shook her head, a frown spreading across her face when realization hit her. "You think he'll die?"

Barret didn't reply. He didn't know what to believe. He hoped for the best, but knew that Cid was in grave danger. He shrugged his shoulders in response, "I can't begin to think what he must be feelin'. Shera's gonna be poppin' out that baby any second now."

Aerith's eyes widened, "Wait. It's coming?" She felt excited, but also disheartened by everything that was happening in Wutai.

Barret nodded, "Yeah. We think that they musta taken the Highwind to Rocket Town. At least that what I think Tif's message said. When Cid found out, I think the old man nearly had a heart attack! If he ain't gonna die today, that definitely took a few years offa his life." He joked without the intention of being funny.

Aerith sighed, "I can't imagine what he's thinking. To be stuck in that cavern, not even knowing if you're ever going to see your child. That's awful."

Cloud muttered under his breath, disappointed. "It seems like a curse for all of us. We've all lost parents. When will the cycle end?"

Bugenhagen let out a low grunt, the pain piercing through him. "The...flower..."

Aerith knelt down beside him, "Right. Of course." She presented the flower before him, a content smile appearing across the elderly man's face.

Bugenhagen nodded, "Grind...the petals...into a...powder." He let out a series of cough, feeling the blood rush up through his lungs.

Aerith instantly plucked a few of the petals from the stem of the flower, arranging them delicately in her hand. With a pair of rocks that Cloud had given her nearby, she took the flower petals and began to grind them into small particles, creating a light powder out of them. She collected the flower particles in her hand.

She brought her hand down to Bugenhagen's mouth. It was going to be his moment of healing; the great cure that would restore his health. She became surprised when the man kept his mouth closed, shaking his head.

"No."

She was confused, perplexed by the man's actions. "But I don't understand."

Bugenhagen nodded, "Cid...Give the flower...to Cid."

"What?" Red pleaded, "But...but grandfather, you'll...you'll die!"

The old man looked down at his grandson, staring into the wolverine's tear-stained face. "I know, Nanaki. But how could I allow myself to be saved, when a child would be brought into this world, raised without their father, just like you were."

Red shook his head, "Grandfather..."

Bugenhagen smiled, "I've lived my life, Nanaki. I've...seen more than anyone...could ever see in a lifetime...on this planet. It is my time...to move on." He turned to Aerith. "Please...give...it to...Cid." He began struggling to speak, his words becoming caught in his throat. He felt his body submitting to his wounds.

"Lifestream..." He felt it. He felt his soul, his conscience, starting to become a part of the Lifestream.

* * *

"Come on, Shera! You're doing great!" Tifa yelled over Shera's anguished cries, squeezing her hand tightly. Her voice was slightly muffled from the plastic mask that she was required to wear over her nose and mouth.

"Nyahhhhhhhhhhh!" Shera felt herself push, feeling as though the life was being sucked out of her. Sweat and tears fell from her face, which Tifa quickly responded to by patting her down with a damp cloth.

The doctor proctored, "Just a little more, Shera. You're almost there."

"Nyahhhhhhhh!"

* * *

"Lifestream...I'm...I'm almost there. I...can feel it." The rain fell down onto Bugenhagen's face, dampening his skin.

Aerith gently brushed the older man's forehead, comforting him within his last moments. Cloud knelt down beside her and placed a hand on her shoulder.

Barret remained behind them, his head held low, sadly.

"Please, grandfather. Just a little longer. You can do it!"

* * *

"You can do it!" Tifa exclaimed, holding the woman's hand tighter. "Just a few more moments now!"

Shera felt like the world was breaking away from her, Tifa being her only source of reality to grasp onto. She panted, her body shaking from the pain. "Nyahhhhhhh!"

"Just one more push!" The doctor instructed, "It's time!"

* * *

Bugenhagen lowered his head, "It's time."

Red glanced down, his paw touching his grandfather's hand. The wolverine felt tears treaming down his face when he saw his grandfather begin to let go.

Bugenhagen looked down at his grandson and to his friends, "You...all have...great hope. You...can do...great things." A small smile appeared across his lips.

"You...can save...the world. You...can...save..."

Bugenhagen then exhaled one last time, before his head gently rested backwards. Red let out a small whimper, feeling his grandfather's hand go limp. He raised his head and let out a howl that echoed throughout the mountain.

Aerith brought her hands to run across Red's back, comforting the wolverine, before wrapping her arms around her distraught friend. "I'm so sorry, Red."

Cloud brought one of his hands to wrap around Aerith, while his other gently rested on Red's head, consoling his wolverine friend.

* * *

Shera let out one final push, feeling as though something was tearing her body completely in half before her screams had faded down. Her eyes widened, as she took a great exhale of breath when she realized that it was all over. The pain still lingered, but it didn't matter to her anymore. Tifa wiped the damp strands of hair from Shera's forehead, which dripped with sweat.

A moment later, the doctor brought up his arms, presenting Shera with her new baby.

The doctor smiled, "It's a girl."

Shera had tears in her eyes, as she smiled lovingly at her new child. She extended her arms out. Her hands shook slightly, afraid that the slightest touch could harm the baby.

"She's adorable. Look at her little hands." Tifa admired, softly.

Shera wrapped her arms around her baby, supporting the girl's head, holding her close to her chest. She had felt new tears form in her eyes. It was the moment when a mother holds her child in her arms for the first time and realizes that the pain, the months of endurance, it is all worth it.

Tifa and the doctor quietly exited the room, leaving Shera alone with her child.

She gently held the baby close to her chest, as a few whimpered cries escaped from it. She gently rocked the baby in her arms, lovingly staring at her. "You have your dad's eyes." There was a moment when everything had gone silent and she felt her heart strengthen with overwhelming love for this new child.

This is what it felt like to be a mother and she was going to make the most out of every minute of it.

* * *

There was a moment of silence, none of them saying anything. All that could be heard was the rain falling from the heavens above. They continued to mourn over Bugenhagen's body, before Red was the first to break the silence.

"I want to honor my grandfather's request." He raised his head to look at his friends. "Cid needs our help. It's what Bugnehagen wants. We may not have been able to save him, but his memory, his words he left behind, we can still honor them!"

Aerith nodded, "You're right, Red! We still have a chance."

Red looked at them and smiled, "There's still hope! We can still be there for our friends! We can prove that we can save the day and make things right again."

Cloud nodded, "Let's go!"

Barret cheered, 'Yes! Avalanche lives on! We can keep our friends and family in our hearts, but kick ass and take names while doin' it!" He motioned for the others to follow him, "Come on, guys! I know the way! Follow me!"

Barret sprinted along the mountain trail, letting out a boisterous laugh. His spirits were always uplifted when he felt as though he was about to perform some courageous deed. There was a chance to make good. Barret knew that he had changed into a man that willingly sought out these opportunities to make a difference in the world; to change lives and to inspire. Few would have ever believed that such compassion could be found within one man.

Red sprinted behind him, following behind his friend every step of the way.

The rain had continued to fall down from the skies above, as Cloud and Aerith ran hand in hand together along the path, embracing the feeling of the raindrops falling onto their skin. It felt cathartic. Aerith carefully held the powder from the flower in her hand, careful not to spill any of it.

They may not have been able to save one of their friends amidst the dark storm that hit their lives, but there was always the chance, the hope that sun would pierce through the storm clouds and that life would continue. Life would get better even after the worst storm. This was something that Cloud and Aerith both knew already.

They had arrived at the entrance to the cavern, as Barret excitedly called out to them.

"Yo! You guys alright!?"

From inside of the cavern, Yuffie looked up from Cid's body, the old man's breath coming in slow, heavy inhales. "Barret!?"

Aerith called out to Yuffie. "Don't worry, Yuffie! Everything will be ok!"

Yuffie's eyes widened, "Aerith! You're there, too!?"

She then heard Cloud's muffled voice from behind the rocks, "Yuffie, we're here to help you! Hold on."

Outside of the cavern, Cloud and Aerith begin carefully prying away the rocks, almost as if it was like a puzzle, working their way through the small boulders before managing to deal with the larger ones.

Barret cheered, rolling the boulders away with his good hand. "Come on, guys! We got this."

Aerith removed one of the boulders away and was met with a pair of eyes staring back at her.

"Hello."

If this was in any other circumstance, Aerith would have probably had a heart attack from sheer surprise, but she had recognized the familiar crimson eyes. "Vincent!"

Barret peaked through the small opening in the rocks, "Yo, man! You alright?!"

"Yes." That's all they were going to get out of him.

Aerith continued to pry away at the rocks around him, before they were able to dig him out of the surrounding debris. He dusted off his cape and nodded. It felt like the entire thing unfazed him, like it didn't even bother him.

Barret laughed to himself, "Haha! You a crazy ass, man! You probably used to this whole damn thing after spendin' years in that damn basement back in Nibelheim! Being stuck between some rocks don't phase you at all, huh!?"

"No."

Cloud and Aerith continued to make their way through the rocks. Cloud removed a specific one, causing the entire mountain of rocks to clutter to the ground, opening the large passage into the cavern. The two entered inside.

"Yuffie!" Aerith exclaimed. She ran to the crouching ninja, throwing her arms around the young woman. "Are you alright? You're not hurt, are you?"

Yuffie shook her head and looked back, "I'm fine, but Cid...he..."

Cloud knelt down beside Cid. "Is he...?" When he saw that Cid was still breathing, barely, he let out a relieved sigh and smiled at Aerith.

She nodded and knelt down, bringing Yuffie down with her. In the palm of her hand, she revealed the powder.

Yuffie tilted her head, perplexed. "What's...?"

"The Naosu Blossom." Aerith smiled. "We have it."

Yuffie's eyes widened, "I...I can't believe you found it! It's like...impossible!"

Aerith glanced over at Cid, rubbing the man's forehead. She gently called out his name, "Cid..."

Cid opened his eyes slightly. He felt himself barely hanging on. "Aerith...Cloud...what are you...doing here?" It was a struggle just for him to speak.

Aerith sighed. She was unsure if this would work, but in her heart, she truly hoped that it would. "Here. Eat this." She shook the powder in her one hand, while cupping Cid's chin in the other, tilting his head back. She gently let the powder fall into Cid's mouth, a few particles falling down from the corner of his lips. She closed his lips, wiping away the stray powder.

Cid's head tilted backwards. Everything was quiet. No one had moved or said anything. Aerith was fairly sure that this powder didn't work.

Cid's eyes suddenly snapped open, as he looked around the cavern.

An exhale escaped Aerith's lips. She smiled at Cid. A confident, knowing smile. "Come on. Get up."

Cid gave her a perturbed, almost shocked face. "Are you crazy!? My damn back's fucked up!"

She smiled, "No, it's not."

"What!?"

Cid thought that Aerith was just messing with him until he realized that the pain that was piercing through his body for the last couple of hours was now gone. Cid thought that this must have been some sick dream. Maybe he was already dead? He was fairly convinced that he was not going to make it out of this cavern alive.

He instantly shot up, not an ounce of pain shooting through his body. He was mesmerized. There was no pain, no broken bones, no soreness. In all honestly, his body felt years younger. "I...I can move."

Aerith and Yuffie smiled.

"I...I can get out of here! I can see Shera and my kid!" Cid sprung up to his feet and pumped his fist in the air, still absolutely shocked and gratified that this miracle had happened. It was as if he was reborn. He had faced death and even accepted it as his destiny, but now, he knew all the things he wanted to do differently, all the things he wanted to change if he could. He saw the world as a changed man, one who was given new life right at the entrance to death's door.

"Come here, you guys!" Cid grabbed Aerith and Yuffie and brought them into a big hug, while Cloud stood off to the side. "Don't think you're not getting in on this, either!" Cid grabbed Cloud by the arm and forced him into the hug.

Cloud let out an exasperated groan. Yuffie wrapped her arms around him, purposely trying to squeeze him until his faced turned blue. It wasn't every day that she got the chance to hug Cloud, so she made sure that he would not be able to breathe from this embrace.

"Alright, alright! Enough! Let go, Yuffie. Let go." Cloud pried the devilishly snickering girl from him.

Yuffie leaned into Aerith, "Sorry for trying to suffocate your boyfriend. I think we need to get rid of some of this tension after this crazy day!"

Aerith smiled and nodded, "How about..."

"Another trip to the Gold Saucer!" The girls said in unison with a laugh.

Cid rejected the idea, "How about we just get the hell outta here! I'm not taking my chances anymore in this place!"

"Right." Cloud led Aerith out of the cavern. Cid and Yuffie followed them.

Before they had left the cavern, Yuffie called back out to Cid. "Wait, Cid."

The older man turned back to Yuffie, who approached him somewhat sheepishly.

"About what happened here today...what we talked about..." Yuffie began.

"Yeah, well, no matter if I'm dying or alive, I still mean everythin' that I said, Yuffie."

Yuffie smiled slightly, "Good. I'm glad. Let's...let's keep it between us, ok?"

Cid tauntingly joked, "And what if I don't? I'd love to see the look on everyone's face when they see how much you LOOOOVEEE me!"

Yuffie rolled her eyes, giving him an expressionless stare. "Oh, knock it off, old man! You tell anyone and you might have to worry about dying for real this time!" She joked.

Cid gave her a genuine, real smile. "Don't worry. I won't say a word."

Yuffie nodded and smiled, content with the decision that the two of them made.

They exited the cavern and reunited with the other members of the group outside. A wide grin spread across Cid's face.

"Damn! Never thought I'd see the sky again! It's like I'm seein' the world for the first time!"

Aerith leaned towards him, "I bet Shera's waiting for you with your child right now, Cid. Ready to be a father?"

He chuckled slightly, "Heh, heh, not too sure. I guess it's too late now. Let's head back down to the village. Can't wait to see 'em!"

Red nodded, "I know that Bugenhagen would proud of what we did today. We granted his last request. He'd be content."

Aerith nodded, "After all these years on the planet, he can finally rest."

"He was a good man." Cloud muttered.

Then, from out of the dark clouds that were scattered across the sky, a single strand of sunlight pierced through, shining down on them. They weren't certain, but all of them could have sworn they heard something.

"Thank you." A barely audible whisper.

Then, their hearts weren't as burdened.

The group had made their way back down the mountain slope. It wasn't until they reached the city that they truly understood the amount of chaos that had happened throughout the day. The village was destroyed. Only unfamiliar remnants of it remained. They were confused and disheartened.

Aerith muttered under her breath, "Jenova..."

Yuffie ran forward, leaving her friends behind her, as she bolted through the devastated marketplace. Her heart was pounding out of her chest. She ran through the streets of her now destroyed home, her heart heavy with the sights that she saw. She couldn't believe what had happened. It felt like some cruel dream that she could not wake up from.

Moments later, she was gone.

The group was left to take in the destruction. "Jenova will pay for this. She can't keep winning like this." Cloud spoke, astonished with how much damage happened right under their noses and how they were completely unaware of it.

When they made their way through the debris of the village, they saw the destroyed buildings and the charred bodies that littered the ground. It was a horrific sight. They soon came across Zack who was shifting his way through the piles of debris. Elena and Tseng were standing off beside him, searching through the rubble.

"Hey guys." Zack walked over to them.

Barret shook his head, pitifully. "How the hell did Jenova do this?"

"She's crazy. The Turks and I have been helping out around town, but things aren't going well. This place got it bad." He sighed, "I can't begin to think of all the people that lost their lives today."

"This is terrible." Red muttered.

"Wutai's lost. Yuffie's father died today, too." Zack explained with a sad expression on his face.

Aerith gasped and without thinking, took off in the direction that Yuffie was headed.

The other members watched as Aerith made her way through the destroyed village.

Cid frowned, "I can't believe this. Really gives you a new appreciation of life once stuff like this happens, don't it?"

Cloud walked away from his friends, traveling after Aerith. He made his way through more of the village before entering back into the central courtyard of the village.

At the foot of Yuffie's burnt house, he saw Aerith rocking Yuffie in her arms. The young ninja was crying into her friend's shoulder. Aerith gently held her, soothing the young girl's sorrow. Yuffie couldn't believe how her home, her village and her father could be taken from her within a day.

Cloud saw the somber expression in Aerith's eyes when she looked up at him.

While gently cradling her friend in a warm embrace, she looked up to Cloud and whispered lightly, "Can you leave us for a second?"

Cloud nodded, understandingly, knowing that this moment was between Aerith and Yuffie. Aerith would be that shoulder for Yuffie to cry on.

"Thank you." She whispered in reply.

Cloud turned and began to walk away. He knew that if anyone should be there for Yuffie, it was Aerith. She would get Yuffie to open up to her about everything. They would have a long talk and Yuffie's heart would begin to heal, if only slightly. Cloud knew that Yuffie had never truly experienced devastation like this.

She would never admit it, but the scar that inflicted Yuffie that day was much deeper than people would realize.

* * *

That night, everyone had come together to aid the village. Wutains and tourists alike joined together to make it through this terrible day and hope for a better tomorrow. They made rations of food to supply the survivors through the night. It didn't matter whether they supplied food or simply offered a shoulder to cry on, a new sense of community had been established in Wutai, one that had perhaps been lost for many years.

Lost families were reunited, belongings were salvaged and people were starting to pick up the pieces of their shattered lives.

The Highwind had descended back down on the outskirts of the village, alerting the attention of the villagers. Parting from his friends helping out around Wutai, Cid glanced up at his lowering ship.

'Damn kids takin' out the ship without my orders!' He let out a smirk.

He couldn't be mad, not after everything that had happened today. He was grateful that he had made it through this day with his life when so many other people hadn't.

"Shera, I'm on my way!" Cid sprinted his way off towards the Highwind, exiting through the gates of Wutai and climbing up the metal ramp leading towards the entrance of the ship. His heart was racing, as his mind raced with so many thoughts going through his head.

He opened the door of the ship and was greeted by Reno and Tifa, who gave him a beaming smile. She glanced over her shoulder, looking back at Shera.

Cid saw Shera gently calming the crying baby in her arms and instantly felt warm tears well up in his eyes. Shera looked up from the baby and smiled slightly as Cid. The expression on Cid's face had meant the world to her. He showed so much love and care, something that was rather uncommon for Cid. This was the moment when he would become a real father.

"Cid, your daughter wants her father to hold her." Shera softly suggested.

Cid looked at her, caution in his eyes. He gently took the baby in his arms, carefully supporting her head, afraid that even the smallest touch could hurt the child. He looked down at the baby, who let out a small giggle, a small smile across her face. When he held his daughter in his arms for the first time, that bond would forever be created between the two of them; the bond between parent and child.

Cid gently rocked the child in his arms, not feeling the least bit embarrassed from the tears falling down his cheeks. "It's ok. Papa's here..."

Shera quietly admired the scene, watching as Cid gently cradled their child through the night.

While many families had been separated by death and disaster that day, a family was also brought together by birth and the chance of new life.

* * *

The next day, the morning began with a service that honored Bugenhagen and all of the lost lives in Wutai.

The group gathered along the mountain of Da-Chao, where they had paid their final respects to Bugenhagen. Aerith gently patted down fresh soil over the grave, as Red nuzzled into her side. He placed his paw down into the soil, leaving his paw print, as if to mark it as an honorable place.

Cloud placed his hand on Aerith's shoulder, looking at her reassuringly. "It was a nice service."

From beyond the stretching mountain peaks, a beautiful sunrise was beginning to ascend, casting a glowing hue down onto Wutai. The light reflected off of the distant ocean waves, casting radiant beams on the mountains, warming the land from its' glow.

"Not a bad view." Barret replied.

"I'm sure Bugenhagen would love it." Aerith replied with a small smile.

Red nodded and turned back to his friends, "Thank you, everyone. Bugenhagen always said that my friends were the most supportive, caring people one could ever ask for. He respected and honored all of you. I will do the same, just as he had done."

Red turned away towards them and started to lead the way back down towards the village. The group slowly turned away from the grave, following the wolverine back down the mountain.

"We still have work to do." Reno muttered.

Zack nodded, "Yep. We've got things in Wutai to take care of..."

"And don't forget Jenova." Tifa interrupted.

Reno sighed, a small smile on his face. He wrapped his arm around Tifa. "I guess our work is always cut out for us, huh."

She smiled, "All the time."

While the group continued on ahead, Aerith and Yuffie lagged behind only slightly. Aerith lightly held onto the girl's arm, comforting her forlorn friend. Yuffie couldn't have been more grateful after everything Aerith had done for her the last couple of days. Aerith was truly like a sister to her.

"How are you feeling today?" Aerith questioned, concern in her voice.

Yuffie sighed, "It feels real today. Yesterday, it was just sad, but when I got up this morning, that's when everything really sunk in." She raised her hand to rub at her eyes, due to her lack of sleep from the previous night.

Yuffie shook her head, "It sucks. It feels like I gained a father and lost one in the same day. Even though I wasn't close to him, that doesn't mean I don't feel sad about it. He's dead, my home is gone, I'm not a role model for my people. That's a lot for one person to handle."

Aerith grasped her hand, "We are all here for you, Yuffie. You know that. We'll get you through this."

Yuffie smiled slightly, "I know. Thank you." She glanced back down towards the ruins of the village. "First, there's something I want to do. I...want to talk to the people. There's some things I feel like I have to say after all of this."

"Of course."

Yuffie led Aerith back down into the village, where they had met back up with the rest of her friends. Throughout the courtyard, people still continued to work and sort out through the debris, clearing out the mess left from the destruction.

Yuffie walked up to the foot of her destroyed palace and faced out towards the courtyard. When a few of the people had noticed her, they made their way over towards the base of the late emperor's palace. More people soon came, forming a small crowd in front of Yuffie.

Yuffie spoke up, a bit unsure of what to say. There were so many thoughts and words going through her head. The stares that she received from her friends and the villagers inhibited her, but she continued to fight her fear and began to speak.

"Everyone..." When she had addressed the crowd, the talking had ceased and everyone's attention was fully focused on Yuffie.

She looked amongst the crowd of people, towards her friends and the familiar faces that she recognized from the villagers. She let out a deep sigh.

"We have been through a terrifying time. Many of us lost something special to us." She looked down between Aerith and Cloud, her eyes continuing to move towards Barret and Vincent.

"Many of us lost fathers and mothers. We've lost brothers and sisters." She looked over toward Cid and Shera, holding their new baby. "We've lost children."

She looked over towards Tifa and Reno, followed by the Turks. "Some of us have lost homes, dreams and our families." She stopped when she looked down at Red.

She opened her mouth to speak, feeling the words get caught in her throat. It felt as though all of Wutai was hanging on the edge, waiting for each word Yuffie spoke. She closed her eyes and calmly remained silent.

When she spoke up again, her voice sounded more firm.

"From every great tragedy, we realize how important things are to us, how important people are to us. But then, we forget. We forget how important certain things are to us until another disaster comes."

Yuffie looked up at the crowd.

"Don't ever forget."

"All of us...we've...lost so many things...but we have not lost hope."

There was an uplifting of emotion from within the crowd. It felt like a dark fog was being lifted from Wutai and light was beginning to shine through. Yuffie's friends, the tourists and the villagers were touched by Yuffie's words. She instilled compassion, yearning and hope to her people. This was a side of her that no one had ever seen. Right before their eyes, she bloomed into a beautiful, young woman who spoke words of encouragement and understanding to all who were willing to listen.

She continued, "Yuffie, the ninja...she's...a coward. She ran away from home, she left her village and she hurt the people that she loved." She paused for a second. "I can't take back the mistakes that I've made, but I don't want to change them, either. I am who I am because of them."

"I understand if you would never accept me back into the village again. I'm sorry I couldn't be the person that you all wanted me to be. I'm sorry...I couldn't be the empress."

Yuffie bowed her head, staring towards the ground. A long silence passed. She stood there, hoping for it all to end, waiting for someone, anyone to say something to her.

When Yuffie lifted her head, what she saw amazed her. Row after row, people begin lowering their heads, bowing before her. Her eyes widened when the entire courtyard bowed before her. They weren't just listening to her, they were praising her. Her words struck each of their hearts. She was standing on the edge of greatness and the people of Wutai were the supports holding her grounded.

It was then that she felt that she could accomplish great things. Wutai could accomplish great things. They all could accomplish great things.

Yuffie spoke again. "Wutai will rise again. Together we can make it happen. We can work together."

Aerith stared at Yuffie, giving her a small nod, as if telling Yuffie that she always knew that she had it in her to be this strong.

"Let's rebuild the village and the marketplace. Let's get back to work. Let's rebuild Wutai into the great village that it was always meant to be."

The crowd began to cheer, applauding Yuffie's words.

Cid leaned into Shera, "I knew she had it in her."

Yuffie spoke up again, "We will go on living and although there will be more frightening times ahead, but I know that we can come together again. Yuffie...will be there for all of you."

"Through birth and death and all of the happiness and sadness that falls in-between, our lives will continue to grow from here. It will blossom...like a flower. Live your lives, explore the world, meet new people, do things you'd never think of doing."

The crowds' cheers grew louder, praising Yuffie's words.

"Through all of the challenges that life may throw at us, we can overcome them. They will make us stronger. Wutai has been made stronger. We ALL have been made stronger. Our lives will continue."

"Our life will go on."

The crowd applauded and cheered, honoring the mature, respectable young woman that stood before them.

Yuffie stepped back and bowed her head, a beaming smile on her face.

* * *

Well, that was certainly a doozy of a chapter! So much happening at once in one chapter! I wanted Yuffie and Red to have some time in the spotlight for a bit and I think this chapter did that justice. The next chapter will be primarily focused on Cloud and Aerith. Things aren't going to be easing down just yet. There are still some troubles ahead for the team.

Thanks for reading! Hope you enjoyed!


	15. The Soldier and the Flower Girl

**Chapter Fifteen - The Soldier and the Flower Girl**

Three days had passed since the events in Wutai had occurred. Although many lives had been taken and the village was destroyed, each passing day proved that things were only going to get better from there. Villagers and tourists came together to do whatever they could to help a friend in need. Yuffie and her group of friends were no exception.

For the past three days, the group had spent their time in Wutai. They paid their respects to the villagers and offered a helping hand doing whatever they could to benefit the village. The people of Wutai were incredibly grateful to all of them for everything that they were doing. Although they knew that the restoration of Wutai would take some time, they knew that they could not stick around forever. They could not forget that they were on a mission; one that was to prevent this sort of tragedy from happening again. If anything, the tragedies that shook Wutai had opened their eyes to the real threat that stood before them.

At midday, the group had decided to make their departure from Wutai. It had been a long couple of days, but their hearts felt lighter knowing that they had made a difference to Wutai's community. Though now, they realized that they had waited long enough. Jenova had to be stopped and the events of Wutai made that very apparent. That day, they would set course for the Forgotten Capitol, where Aerith's journey would continue to put an end to this battle that should have been over long ago.

While the team began preparing for departure, not everyone would be returning with them. Zack and the Turks had decided to stay behind and do what they could to continue helping Wutai. If the Turks wanted to be considered good to the world, they figured one of their best opportunities would start here.

"Are you certain that you're coming along with us? The people of Wutai would feel better knowing that you were around, Yuffie." Aerith glanced over her shoulder at Yuffie, while carrying up her bag towards the Highwind's deck.

"Hmm...yeah, I think they'll be fine. They'll understand why I'm leaving. It looks like they've got things covered here, especially with Zack and the others staying around. They'll get this placed fixed in no time! I've never seen this kind of sense of community in Wutai."

"It's all thanks to you, Yuffie."

Yuffie smiled and shook her head, "All I did was give a speech."

"All you did was show how anyone could change their life." Aerith smiled back at the young girl. "I'm proud of you."

Yuffie's smile grew bigger. "Well, I suppose so. Besides, who would I be if I just sit back and let Jenova have her way after what she did to my village?"

"Exactly!"

Yuffie mocked, "As "royal empress" of Wutai, I shall show my mercy by having Jenova...ASSASSINATED!" The young ninja laughed at her own joke, as if it was told to her.

Aerith join in, "Well, we're working on it."

"Hey, you two! Wait up!" A voice called out from behind the two of them.

"Elena..." Aerith turned around to face the woman. "What's wrong?"

"Nothing." She turned to face Yuffie. "Before you left, I...I wanted to apologize for the things I said earlier. It was wrong and...I wish things didn't happen the way they did."

Yuffie nodded. She wasn't going to lie. What Elena had said to her had upset her greatly, but after the past couple of days, everyone had been through so much. There was no point to hold onto this anger for things that didn't even matter anymore. Though, this apology was good for Yuffie to hear.

Elena questioned nervously, "Are we good?"

Yuffie smiled slightly, "Yeah, we're good." She caught the blonde-haired woman off guard when she pulled her into a tight, unexpected hug.

Elena remained there, wide-eyed, before returning the embrace. Aerith just stood there, her head tilted, staring at the two women in all of their awkward glory.

Yuffie suddenly pulled back from the embrace, "Alright, enough of that! We've had enough!"

Elena let out a small laugh, "You never change."

Yuffie shook her head. "No. I have. I think we both have." A small smile formed across her lips.

Elena turned back to face the remnants of the village. "I...I'd better get back down to the village. I'm pretty sure the Turks will need me. Can't trust them to do anything right without a woman's brain."

Aerith smiled, "Ah, so you understand. Keep an eye on them. Make sure they stay out of trouble."

"Yeah! Especially you and Tseng!" Yuffie playfully jabbed her, jokingly putting on a kissy face.

Elena shook her head, "Don't worry. We'll be far too busy on fixing the village. There'll be absolutely no romantic date nights or kissing, whatsoever." She replied sarcastically, with a small grin on her face.

Aerith shook her head and smiled at Elena's transparent words, "We'll see you soon, Elena."

"Be seeing you gals!" Elena turned away and made her way back down towards the village.

Aerith turned to Yuffie as the two women began to make their way up towards the Highwind. "Well, that was pretty noble for the two of you. I expected some punches to be thrown."

"Well, I can't stay mad forever, I suppose. She is helping repair Wutai. That's a lot of loyalty. It's good to be strong enough to be able to forgive."

Aerith smiled and nodded.

Yuffie pondered, "The Turks actually lending a helping hand for a change." She stated with a smirk, "I guess there really is good inside of them..."

The two arrived on the deck of the ship, where Reno and Tifa had been waiting.

Tifa smiled at them, "You girls ready to head out?"

"Yeah. Just finishing up some last minute stuff." Aerith answered.

"HEYYYYYYYYY!" A loud voice interrupted them. All of them looked over the edge of the Highwind's railing to see Zack charging through the charred gates of Wutai.

"Uh-oh. What's he gotten himself into now?" Yuffie muttered with a smirk.

Reno glanced down at him and called down, "Yo Zack! What's up?"

"I wanted to see all of you off before you guys left!" Zack replied with a cheery smile.

Aerith questioned, "You'll be ok staying in Wutai?"

Zack nodded, "Yeah, don't worry about me guys! I want to help out here for a bit. Besides, we need someone to keep the Turks in line, right? Can't believe that they're completely good!"

He continued, "Who knows? Maybe after this I'll head back to Gongaga, see my parents. I'm sure I'll find some sort of trouble to get into to keep myself entertained before they kick me out!"

"We'll miss you, Zack!" Aerith called out.

"Don't forget about us!" Tifa waved down at him.

"Don't talk like that! I'll be seeing you guys again real soon!" He exuberantly waved his hands back and forth, waving at them.

"BYE! BYEEEEE!" Yuffie leaned over the railing, waving down at Zack. If it weren't for her tight grip onto the cold metal, the group would have thought that she would have surely fallen over.

The Highwind began to ascend into the air, a cold breeze sweeping across the deck.

Zack shouted out, "Give my regards to Cloud!"

Aerith nodded in response.

With that, Zack watched as the Highwind took off into the sky, racing beyond the clouds, out of sight.

'Now, time to get those knuckleheads to work!' Zack thought to himself as he rubbed his hands together, a wide grin spread across his face. He was going to make sure that he was going to give the Turks an extra hard time if they did not cooperate accordingly with the rest of Wutai. With his leadership in order, he knew that the village would be patched up in a heartbeat.

'This is gonna be fun!'

* * *

Aerith made her way through the ship. While most of the group had stayed behind in the cockpit, she had other important matters to take care of. She walked through the Maintenance Bay and made her way over towards the cabin of the ship without any interruptions.

Once inside of the cabin, she saw that all of the beds were unoccupied with the exception of one that had a small curtain draped in front of it. She silently tip-toed up to the curtain, gently prying away the fabric and peeking through. She smiled when she saw the blonde-haired man stir in front of her.

Cloud was awake, rubbing the circles that formed under his eyes from his lack of sleep. A few coughs escaped him. Aerith examined him, noting that his nose was red and his eyes were watery. He was surrounded by small crumpled up tissues. She couldn't help but feel worried and concerned about him. He had felt sick the past couple of days, ever since they returned from the Dao-Chao mountains. It wasn't a surprise, really. With all of the walking they had that in the terrible weather that day, Aerith was surprised Cloud had only caught a fever and not something more serious.

Still, a small frown formed across her face. All she wanted was for Cloud to start feeling better and she was going to take care of him until then.

It took Cloud a few moments to realize that Aerith was there. "Hey." He called out to her, his voice croaking. He was surprised by the sound of his own voice, his perplexed facial expression letting Aerith know just as much.

She stepped through the curtain and took a seat next to him on the bed. She gently ran her hand through his spiky locks, softly whispering, "Hey. How are you feeling? I thought you were supposed to be getting some sleep."

Cloud brought a tissue to his nose, rubbing it gently. "I feel awful. I was about to get to sleep, but then we took off." He closed his eyes, letting out a low moan, enjoying Aerith's soothing ministrations.

"I'm sorry." She brought her hand to rest on his forehead. "You're still very warm..."

"And why aren't you sick? You were out there with us, too!" He whined.

Aerith gave him a mock surprised expression, "Would you prefer I be sick in here with you, too?"

He smiled, "Yes."

She rolled her eyes, "So we can both be sick in here together and cuddle, hm?"

"Yes."

She playfully pressed her nose up against him. "And now I'm going to tell everyone what a cute romantic you are at heart."

"No."

She responded to his response with a small giggle.

Cloud let out a groan. "Ughhh, I'm stronger than this. I'm seriously gonna let a small fever get the best of me?" As a strong soldier, he felt surprised by how a mere sickness was affecting him. Although, he did not complain much, especially since he had Aerith to take care of him. With her concern and affection towards him, he would not mind if he had to remain sick for a little while longer.

Aerith gently rubbed his cheek, enjoying the feeling of his warm flesh. "Cloud, relax. You just need your rest. You'll be better in no time."

For the first time that day, a small smile spread across her lips. He loved how caring and affectionate Aerith was to everyone, him especially. He knew that one day, she would most certainly become a wonderful mother, if she was ever given the opportunity. Just the idea of it caused Cloud to blush and avert his gaze from the flower maiden.

"You know, if you don't want to you don't have to stay in here."

"Oh, so I can't take care of my sick boyfriend?" She smiled and lightly shook her head. "I don't mind taking care of you, Cloud. We all need someone to look after us." When she saw him slightly shiver from the cold air that protruded through the cabin's ventilation, she lightly took hold of his blankets, pulling them up to his chest, gently tucking him in.

"We still have some time before we'll make it up to the northern continent. Just try and get some sleep now, ok?"

Cloud nodded and smiled.

"Good. I'll come back later with something for you to eat."

"Thanks."

Aerith leaned forward, gently kissing him on the forehead. She pulled back and replied with a sincere smile, "Feel better."

"I will, thanks to you." Cloud smiled sheepishly at her. He settled down into the mattress, starting to feel comfortable. Aerith leaned forward again, moving down to Cloud's lips, capturing them in a quick, warm kiss.

When she pulled back, Cloud stared at her through tired, sleepy eyes. He let out a small yawn, feeling his eyelids slowly begin to lower. He tried to remain awake for just a little longer, enjoying Aerith's presence and her taking care of him. Though, he knew that sleep would soon be on its way to claim him.

She gently brought her hand up to his head, continuing to play with the spiky strands of his hair. Her gently ministrations relaxed him, causing him to push away the thoughts of his fever. A warm, sleepy smile formed on his face. She grinned when she saw his eyelids slowly lower, knowing that he would finally be getting some well-deserved rest.

"Night, Cloud."

She got up from the bed, looking back down at Cloud for a small moment, a smile spread across her lips. She slowly closed the curtain behind her, ensuring that Cloud would receive a nice, peaceful sleep.

* * *

Aerith returned to the Maintenance Bay. She was surprised by how quiet it seemed, other than the churning of the heavy machine equipment. She felt the air hanging heavily throughout the metal room, making her feel stuffy and uncomfortable. 'I hope I'm not getting sick. I should get some fresh air.'

She ascended up the metal steps at the side of the room and arrived on the deck. She was surprised to find Reno leaning over the railing, looking down at the passing ocean below.

"Hey Reno." She called out. "Didn't expect to find you up here."

"Being trapped in this thing for a while starts to get on my nerves. I need to get some air."

She nodded, understandingly. "Same here. Tifa's not with you?"

"Nah. She's actually got her hands full with helping Shera with her new kiddo. She enjoys being like a mother, to Marlene and Denzel. Hell, Cloud, too and now Shera's new kid. Can't say I blame her for taking the opportunity."

Aerith smirked at him. "Are you getting a terrifying glimpse into the future?"

"What? You mean having kids!?" His eyes widened, "Nah, I'm not sure if that's for me."

"Well, you never know. I wouldn't write off the idea just yet." Aerith suggested.

Reno let out a sigh, leaning his elbows down on the railing of the Highwind. He turned to face Aerith. "So, you're really serious about this whole Jenova thing? Even with all that's at risk? Even if you could die?"

She thought for a moment before concluding. "Yes. With everything that's happened, Wutai, Bugnehagen's death, Yuffie's father's passing, I think I realized how determined I am to stop her, now more than ever. They were innocent. They got caught in the crossfire of this situation because of us. I've taken too long to get the White Materia back. If I had done all of this sooner, then maybe all of this wouldn't have happened..." She looked down at the passing ocean waves.

She turned to Reno, "I have to do something to make it right. I have to stop Jenova, even if it only brings about more trouble for me."

Reno smiled slightly, "So, you're willing to accept the challenge? You're just looking for a good adventure!"

"Maybe I am." She laughed, "Growing up, I never really dreamed of doing anything...heroic. I wanted to see the world, get out of Midgar. I just didn't think that those dreams would lead to this mission I'm on now. It's not very often that people in this day ever get to prove what they can do; to become a hero."

She sighed, "I never thought I could live this adventure that I am now. I thought it would be safer if I never stepped foot outside my house, but I would have been able to experience real life, either..."

Reno nodded in response, straightening out his red ponytail.

Aerith looked back down at the ocean, "The last time I went on a journey like this, it didn't end well."

"And you're not worried about what could happen once we get down to that city?"

She pondered for a moment. It's not that she wasn't worried. Rather, she was unsure of what would happen after she obtained the White Materia again. Would that give her the power to defeat Jenova? Would Jenova kill her before she had the chance to use it? Would the power from the White Materia even work at all? So many questions and not a single answer that she knew.

"I am worried, but my main concern is Cloud. Regardless of what happens down there today, I just want to make sure that he comes out of it alright."

Reno smirked, "You know our Cloud. We'll be up to our necks in trouble and then he'll come in and save the day."

Aerith smiled, "He always makes it look so easy. I still wonder whether or not I'm still cut out for all of this. If things don't go well today..."

Reno looked over at her, "Don't talk like that! Have an adventure!" He smiled at her, "I would love to go on an awesome quest for some great cause, rather than living our typical lives back in the city, where every day is the same, wouldn't you?"

Aerith smiled. She knew he was right. "I would. I guess dreaming about going on an adventure and actually living one are two very different things. It hasn't been easy, but I can't say that I haven't been enjoying myself, either!"

"Exactly!" Reno exclaimed, "So, why stop here? Have an adventure. Take the chance. Let's both be heroes."

She opened her mouth to speak, but stopped. Instead, her lips formed into a grin. She looked at him coyly, "Thank you." She let out a small giggle, before turning her back to Reno, starting to walk away.

"Aerith!" Reno called back out to her.

She turned back to Reno, an inquisitive look on her face.

"I'm sorry for everything that happened back when I was a Turk. It was real messed up of me."

"Oh Reno, I think we've all moved past that. You don't have to apologize."

Reno shook his head, "No, I sorta do. It was never really my intention to ever do you any harm. Shinra just had me so wrapped around their fingers, all of us really. The Turks were stupid for following along with them. I guess...it doesn't really matter anymore. We're working together now. We're friends, right?"

Aerith genuinely smiled back at him, "Yeah, we're friends."

Reno smiled, "Good. I'm gonna need a friend in my corner to talk some sense into Tifa when I piss her off." He joked with a small chuckle.

Aerith rolled her eyes and walked back inside of the Highwind. "Oh, don't worry. I'll team up with her to make sure she gets you back good!"

* * *

About another hour or two had passed while the group remained on the Highwind. It wasn't long before Cid came over the intercom. "We'll be gettin' to the northern continent soon...er...or what's left of it! Ya'll should start gettin' ready for departure!"

Everything seemed perfectly usual to the group with the exception of one noticeable addition. The crying newborn in Shera's arms.

From the control panel, Cid looked back at Shera, a grin across his face. "Good to know she's got the lungs of her father!" He shouted over the rumbling engine of the plane.

"Aw, Cid! I'm so happy for you!" Yuffie cheered, doing a small twirl.

Cid gave a small smile, "Yeah, yeah, now git outta my peripheral, kiddo!"

Yuffie grabbed onto the pilot, playfully shaking him back and forth. "No! No!"

Cid tried to pry the ninja off him, laughing as he struggled against Yuffie's playful antics. "I can't even stay mad at cha! You're actin' like a fool."

As much as they would deny it, it had become clear to everyone that the relationship between Cid and Yuffie was mending.

Shera gently quieted the robustly crying child in her arms. She gently rocked the baby back and forth, trying to sooth the baby into sleep. Her efforts remained futile.

Tifa winced from the unexplainable loud cries coming from the tiny baby. "Well, it's certainly...louder than I remembered it to be..." She was cut off when the child let out another cry.

Reno leaned in to her and whispered, "I think it's about time you and I have that talk where I try to persuade you against having children..."

Tifa raised an eyebrow at him, giving him an incredulous look. "Oh, and who says you'll get to have that honor?" She walked away from him, running her hands through her silky, black hair.

"Because I'm irresistible."

She turned around to see Reno giving her the most over-the-top cocky grin that she had probably ever seen on him. He suggestively raised his eyebrows.

She let out a laugh. "Well, I guess that case could be made. Though, unfortunately for you, I can control myself. You'll just have to try a bit harder next time, Mr. Confident." She walked away from him.

"Oh, if you only knew the kinds of tricks I have up my sleeve."

Aerith arrived in the cockpit along with Cloud. She had just gone to retrieve him from his rest after bringing him up a tray of food in hopes that he would at least eat something. When he got up, he admitted that he was feeling a little better, but his head still felt heavy, making him feel a bit disoriented.

When he arrived in the cockpit, the crying child in Shera's arms only strengthened the pain in his head. He groaned, feeling his headache intensify. "Ugh..." If there was one thing that Cloud loathed about children, this would certainly be it.

Aerith gently squeezed his hand in response, looking at him reassuringly.

"There you two are! Where ya been!?" Barret approached them.

"Sorry. Just making sure that our leader's in good condition." She glanced back at Cloud.

"Oh, yeah! I'm fine!" Barret let out a hearty laugh. "We'll be gettin' to the Bone Village soon! Ya'll get ready."

When Barret had walked away, Aerith took the initiative to head over to Shera, cutely gushing at the small newborn in her arms. From within the white cotton blanket, the baby looked so small, so delicate. "She's precious. She's got beautiful eyes." Aerith knelt down next to Shera, peeling back the blanket to get a closer look at the child. She smiled when the baby's hand wrapped around one of her fingers.

"Have you decided on a name yet?"

Shera looked back at Cid, who gave her a confirming nod. "Her name is Mina."

"It's lovely." Aerith admired.

"Would you like to hold her?" Shera questioned.

Aerith was a bit taken aback. "Oh...um, I don't know. I've never held a baby before. I don't want to do anything wrong."

Shera smiled, confidently. "Don't worry. She won't break." She carefully brought the child up into Aerith's arms. The flower girl delicately wrapped her arms around the baby, making sure that her head and body were supported. The baby's cries began to die down. She cradled the newborn in her arms.

When she looked down at the child in her arms, an overwhelming feeling passed through her. This is what it felt like to be a mother. There was so much love and care for a child. To be honest, Aerith had one day dreamed of becoming a mother, but she was never given a chance. It was there, holding that baby in her arms, she realized how she would one day want that dream to become a reality.

Aerith glanced over at Cloud, noticing his eyes fixated on her. 'She seems...so natural at it', he thought to himself. His own thoughts caused him to blush, wondering what Aerith would be like as a mother; to her children...to his children. He wanted to stop himself before he got ahead of himself, but seeing her so contently caring for this newborn, it caused his mind to wander.

'I was raised without a father. I wouldn't even know how to be one...' On his own accord, Cloud had never thought that he would have kids. Sure, he had sometimes felt like a fatherly and brotherly role model to Denzel, but he never thought that he would have kids of his own. Seeing Aerith in front of him now, it opened his eyes to a possible new chapter of his life; one that he never pictured for himself. 'Maybe some kids wouldn't be so bad...'

With her by his side, he thought of all sorts of things about his future life that he never thought before, that he never thought could happen. Above all else, Cloud enjoyed the vision of his future that he pictured.

When Aerith caught sight of Cloud, a small smile spread across his face; one that only she would notice. She sheepishly smiled back, a small blush appearing across her face. She was left to ponder only what thoughts could have been running through Cloud's mind.

Cid interrupted their thoughts, "Hey Aerith! Unless ya plan on usin' the baby as a floatation device, ya should get ready for landin'! We're arrivin' now."

She smiled, nearly blocking out reality when she pictured her future. She gently handed the baby back into Shera's nurturing arms. "Sorry." She made her way back over to Cloud and noticed a look on his face. She leaned forward, a questioning smile grazing her lips. "What?"

He smiled shyly, his cheeks reddening. "N-nothing." He scratched the back of his head and took his eyes away from her.

She leaned forward a bit more, her eyes squinting, as if to pierce through his thoughts. When it proved useless, she simply grinned and turned away from him, starting to prepare for the decent into the remainder of the northern continent.

'I wonder what's going on in that spiky head of his.'

* * *

From the view of the Highwind, they saw how the geography of the northern continent had vastly changed due to Rufus' destructive materia. While the southernmost point of the continent remained untouched, anything beyond the Forgotten Capitol remained as a lonesome, discarded remnant of the formation of land.

"Wow." Aerith sighed, whispering. The sudden change was quite unlike anything she had ever seen.

"The Forgotten Capitol wasn't affected by it. The Turks said some sort of barrier 'wrapped' around the city." Tifa looked over at Aerith. "Would you know anything about that?"

Aerith nodded, "Yes. It's the reason why we're here today."

"The White Materia." Cloud stated, confident.

Aerith gave a confirming nod. "Its power is incredible. Even without anyone to summon its power, the White Materia was still able to deflect the damage from that destructive materia."

Yuffie questioned, "Something that powerful has to be able to take down Jenova, right?"

"We can only hope."

Reno smirked, "So, why the hell are we waiting around here for? Let's get this show on the road!"

The Highwind landed just off of the coast of the ocean, at the southern tip by the village base of the Bone Village. Cid and Shera had decided to stay back on the Highwind. They knew it would be dangerous out there and the thought of even having their newborn anywhere close to that danger was mind-boggling. No, they would be making sure that their new daughter would be somewhere safe.

The group had stepped into the Bone Village, where they were met with the unfriendly gaze from the village diggers. Cloud, Aerith, Reno, Tifa, Yuffie, Barret, Red and Vincent; they all felt it. The feeling of being absolutely unwelcome.

"Why doesn't anyone like us wherever we go? This is really startin' to chap my hide!" Yuffie stated out loud.

"We're outsiders." Tifa replied, simply enough. "This is their land and we're trespassing."

"Well, they could have at least cleaned the place up a little. This place is a dump!" Yuffie snorted.

Barret lowered his head, "Damn, Corel, Wutai...I guess hard time are hittin' everywhere."

The Bone Village itself was not much of a civilization. The village consisted of temporary tents and ram-shackled sheds where the village diggers would camp out over night. They lived their lives digging, hoping to find rare and valuable items beneath the town's soil. It was quite uncommon for any outsiders to pay a visit here. Even on the most recent maps, it was rarely ever deemed an actual location.

There wasn't much beyond the village. There was the Forgotten Capitol, which paved the way towards endless forests, icy plains and the tall snow-topped mountains. The only form of civilization beyond there was the former Icicle Inn. Most people just passed through the Bone Village, not saying a word. The diggers preferred it that way.

"Come on. Let's get going." Cloud continued onward.

Aerith reached her hand out to Cloud, opening her mouth to reply, but the words never came. She watched as he continued to make his way towards the outskirts of the village. She already knew what was bothering him.

In his mind, Cloud wanted to be strong for Aerith. He wanted to show no signs of insecurity or pain. He wanted to be the strength that would uphold them throughout their journey into the city, never faltering once. His heart, on the other hand, wanted nothing more than to turn back from the Forgotten Capitol, never to return again. It was an internal struggle, both sides continuously faltering within him.

This place only contained bad memories for him and if more of them were to be brought about today, he did not know what he would do. He had returned to the city before and every time, he felt lost in emotion. Even with Aerith by his side, the same sense of sadness overtook him. This place would forever be where the two of them were once separated and nothing would change that. If something were to happen to her again...

Still, he would continue to be strong. He would be her bodyguard. He would protect her from now on, even at the cost of his own life.

The rest of the team traveled behind Cloud, leading out of the ram-shackled village and into the forests beyond. They passed by several diggers, all looking as worn out and tired as the first. They were covered in a mixture of sweat and dirt and looked as though they had not had a proper washing in days.

One of the diggers called out to them, "Hey! If you guys are going to be headed into that forest, you better watch out. A bunch of weird things have been going on in there. Wouldn't want anyone to get hurt."

Yuffie replied back to the man, "Thanks for looking out for us! Very sweet of you." She gave the man a small wave. "Well, take care." With that, the group continued onward.

The man turned back towards his companion diggers, "Men, tomorrow we'll have a new task come the morning. We'll have to bury all of their bodies with the others that were claimed by the Sleeping Forest."

The group entered into the forest, which seemed to stretch for miles and miles. It seemed endless. The forest was mysterious, but also strangely peaceful and tranquil. The forest pathways were masked by a low fog that hung about the area, making the forest seem all the more larger.

"The city lies just beyond this forest. We should move quickly." Aerith stated, matter-of-factly.

"Are we sure about this? We don't have the Lunar Harp to get through the forest." Yuffie stated, concerned.

The Lunar Harp had been a lost artifact that made one capable of traversing the Sleeping Forest with ease. It became a common myth that those entered the forest without the harp would most likely be met with a most definite demise. Unfortunately for them, they had lost the harp some time ago during their mission and were left to trail the forest unprepared.

Cloud sighed, frustrated. "We don't have time. We were barely able to find when we dug for it in the Bone Village the first time. It could be anywhere on the planet at this point. We won't be able to find it."

Tifa questioned, "So, what do we do now?"

"We move on." Without a word, Cloud continued forward into the forest, leaving his companions behind. He seemed strong and focused, determined with no inhibitions of the forest ahead.

It took a moment before the other members of the group trailed behind their leader.

Alongside Aerith and Tifa, Reno leaned in closer to the Cetra and pointed towards Cloud. 'What's gotten into him?" His voice was a hushed whisper between them, careful not to alert the blonde-haired soldier.

"He's worried." Aerith stated, already knowing Cloud's exact emotions. "He's scared about what might happen today, so he'll shut himself out."

Tifa nodded, "Cloud'll do that. Even so, returning to a place like this, a place that's only bad memories for him, that shows how much he cares about you, Aerith."

Reno agreed, "He's willing to put aside his own issues about coming here for you. That's a lot of loyalty."

Aerith smiled, knowing that the two were right. Even though Cloud would have his own insecurities about returning to this place, she knew that he would continue onward, never faltering once. "No, I know Cloud. He'd never allow me to do this by myself. He wouldn't even allow me to leave if he wasn't coming along with me."

Tifa smiled in response, "Right, even if he ever did allow you to do this by yourself, you KNOW that he would be secretly following you every step of the way."

Reno smirked, "He'll make you think that he's letting you do this all by yourself, but he'll end up making sure that you don't get yourself into any trouble."

Tifa nudged him in the side, playfully, "Hey, when are you gonna start doing romantic stuff like that for me?"

He threw his hands up in defense, "Hey, hey! What do you mean? I'm romantic when I have to be."

"Of course you are", she replied with a hint of sarcasm in her voice.

Aerith shook her head and smiled at the two of them. "Stop fighting, you two. Let's catch up with the others."

The three of them continued walking onward, making their way back up to the group. The forest was silent, not a single noise to be heard. It was strange and somehow odd that such a large forest could be so quiet. It was almost as if the entire woods were frozen in time. Sure, while there was a sort of tranquil peace about the area, it also seemed just as unnerving to some.

When the group had arrived about halfway through the forest, they felt a sudden disturbance from within the forest. It was noticeable enough that they were stopped in their tracks and took a moment to look around.

Yuffie glanced back and forth, "Huh?"

"The hell was that?" Barret questioned.

A cold chill was sent down their spine when they heard something from within the forest. It felt like someone or...something...exhaling.

"Did you hear that?" Tifa asked.

Aerith nodded, "It sounds like someone...breathing."

"I guess the Sleeping Forest awoke, huh?" He smirked, followed by a small laugh.

To their surprise, one of the tree branches shot out from one of the trees and stretched itself out like a claw, as if it was grasping to attack the team. The branch literally grew ten times in its' size and grew wispy like fingers, sharp like daggers.

"The hell is this?!" Barret flinched back, pointing his gun-arm upwards towards the branch claw, firing bullets at it. The claw remained unfazed and continue to move forward to swipe at the group.

Cloud quickly ran up towards the branch, raising his buster sword above his head before bringing the blade down and severing the branch from the tree. The branch fell to the ground before shriveling up into a smaller twig.

"You think that was the last of them." Yuffie questioned.

Cloud shook his head. "No."

As if on cue, more tree branches shot forward, developing their own sets of claws and hands. They outstretched their wooden fingers, wispily traveling through the air, ready to snatch the life out of any one of them. They hovered about the area, delicately searching for their next chosen target.

Cloud took Aerith's hand in his own, before instructing all of the others with his orders. "Run!"

Cloud and Aerith raced through the forest, followed closely behind by the other members of the team. They knew that they weren't being chased by something of Jenova's doing. No, this was simply the defensive methods of the Sleeping Forest itself, prepared to attack any trespassers that might defile the mystical forest.

The pursuit through the forest continued. They felt the claws continue to grow and stretch behind them, forming an endless maze of branches that twisted and weaved together. If they were to be caught by them, they were certain that they would meet their demise and the Sleeping Forest would become their tomb forevermore.

From within the forest dirt, the team was taken aback when several decayed, bony hands began to emerge from the soil. The hands pushed away the dirt, revealing several decayed, skeletal figures emerging from the forest's ground. They stumbled and staggered to their feet, letting out indescribable exhales of terror. The skeletal figures straightened on the flats of their bony feet, before turning to face the group.

"You got to be kidding me!" Yuffie's eyes widened. "Who the hell are these guys?"

"Our traveling predecessors it appears. It seems none of them were able to make it through the forest, either." Red examined the skeletal figures that appeared.

Their bony hands were outstretched, the jaws of their skulls slack open. Decayed skin and flesh fell off their bones, as the mutilated army of zombie-like beings continued their pursuit.

Cloud pointed his sword towards them. "We won't be joining them. We fight out way through!"

He rushed forward towards one of the zombies, jumping into the air, before bringing his sword back down, splicing the zombie's figure into two. When he had created an opening for them to run through, he took hold of Aerith and led her through. The zombies let out a cry for their fallen brethren, before they continued their chase.

When Reno and Tifa felt like one of them was gaining on them, Reno stopped suddenly in his tracks. The sudden stop on Reno's part was met with surprise when the zombie figures feet was traveling quicker than they could carry them. Reno kicked out one of his feet, sending the zombie crashing to the floor, exploding into a pile of bones.

"Have a nice trip."

Tifa took a moment to congratulate him, "Nice work."

Reno smirked, "See? I still got some fight in me!" Reno stopped when he saw the look of surprise in Tifa's eyes. Before he could question it, Tifa lunged at his side and punched a zombie that had been apparently sneaking up on Reno. She punched the zombie's skull in again, before kicking the figure up into the air. When the figure descended back down, she then kicked it again, sending it somewhere far off into the forest.

"Who's still got some fight in them?" Tifa winked at him, before grabbing his hand and continuing their trail through the forest.

Yuffie and Red had kept up quite well. If they had ever run into one of the figure, one of Red's lunges would send the being crashing towards the ground. Barret and Vincent were also met with some struggle from the beings, but was nothing that they couldn't handle by their own accord.

From within the forest, more and more of these zombies appeared, increasing the numbers to their small army. The forest rustled and boomed, as if something from deep inside of it began to stir. The trees rustled, sending leaves and branches collapsing down. It felt as though a small quake shook through the area, but the group knew that again, it was the effects of the Sleeping Forest awakening. Trees toppled over, crashing into the soil. The ground shook beneath all of their feet. At this rate, they weren't sure how much longer they would be able to survive.

When Cloud and Aerith were met by another set of zombies. Cloud raised his sword up, his other arm outstretching in front of Aerith like a barrier that would deflect all. He brought his sword across the zombies slashing at them and sending them towards the ground. Cloud took a moment to honor his victory, a sense of accomplishment having protected Aerith as her bodyguard, just as he always said he would.

The moment was short-lived when one of the skeletal figures caught the two of them off guard, sending Cloud to the floor, his buster sword flying just a few feet away. The zombie swiped at Cloud's arm, causing a light gash to appear. Blood started trickling down Cloud's arm.

"Cloud!" Aerith called out to him. A sense of anger and rage built up within her seeing what the figures had done to him. No one was going to hurt him, not if she would have anything to do about it. She ran forward, catching the zombie off guard, before punching the figure in the skull, sending it rearing back.

Another zombie figure approached Aerith, swiping its' claw at her. She took a step back, deflecting the attack. She clenched her hands into a fist and without thinking, punched the second zombie in the skull, just as she did the first.

"Don't touch him!"

From her petite frame, it was shocking to see her do such damage. Cloud always knew that Aerith was not one to underestimate. She had a strong will and was determined, but if you were to get on her bad side, there would surely be hell to pay.

Adrenaline rushed through Aerith. She felt as though she blacked out and the reality around her faded. All she could think about was these creatures attacking Cloud and that was enough to send her into a rage. She pushed one of the zombies into the other, causing both of them to collide into the ground, the hit upon impact causing their figures to collapse into a pile of flesh and bones. Aerith smiled confidently, wiping the dirt from her dress.

Cloud stared at her, surprised. "Whoa."

"Don't act so surprised." She smiled at him, helping him to his feet. She pressed her hand up against his arm, adding pressure against the cut. He winced slightly at the pain. Within seconds, a cooling sensation spread throughout his arm as Aerith's curative magic proved to work wonders yet again.

A green mist sparkled across his strong arm, before fading away, not leaving a single mark. She spoke up again, "No one is going to hurt the people that I love."

Cloud smiled and nodded, "Come on, let's get the others and get out of here."

The forest did not manage to let up its' assault against the trespassing group. The forest shook and rumbled, sending small quakes through the once tranquil woodland. When the entire group had fought their way through the grotesque figures trailing them, they made a straight getaway through the deepest parts of the forest.

Cloud grasped Aerith's hand, making sure that she would keep up with him as his pace quickened. "There it is!"

Just up ahead, they could see the one end of the forest which opened up towards the pathway down towards the City of the Ancients. At once, the exit to the forest seemed so close and yet miles away.

"They're still trailing us!" Yuffie shouted, noticing the dozen of grotesque skeletal figures that trailed behind them. "Let's get out of here!"

"Even escaping this place, that still might not stop them!" Tifa called out, checking over her shoulder, making sure that Barret, Vincent and Reno were keeping up with them and that they hadn't become prey to their approaching enemy.

Red sprinted forward, "Let's find out." He charged ahead of the rest of the group, sprinting on all fours towards the opening out of the forest. When he bolted through the trees at the exit of the Sleeping Forest, he turned around to see how his companions were holding up.

They were just feet away from the forest now and yet, they could all hear the steady growl from the enemies behind them. It was terrifying to say the least. Tifa crossed through the exit, continuing her sprint forward even though she had already exited the forest, One by one, each member of the group escaped from the forest, never looking back.

"Let's go!" Cloud grasped Aerith's hand, leaping through the passage between the trees. From the sheer terror and exhaustion, the leap had caused the two to fall forward. As soon as the two hit the ground, Cloud immediately hovered over Aerith and took hold of her waist. If anything was to attack them, he made sure that they would have to go through him first before they could ever touch her.

The group of skeletal figures arrived at the exit of the forest and rampaged forward. The team braced for the attack. As soon as the skeletal figures had emerged from the surroundings of the forest, all of them instantly collapsed upon themselves, falling into piles of bones and flesh. The group slowly recovered from the close call.

Yuffie's eyes widened, both out of surprise and relief that their enemies had been destroyed. "What...happened?"

"It was the secrets of this forest that sustained them in their form." Vincent spoke for the first time that day, confident in his own hypothesis. "The unusual circumstances of this forest allowed these beings to awaken from their eternal slumber."

Tifa nodded, understandingly. "But when they had left the forest, whatever was sustaining them wore off and they were destroyed..."

Reno shook his head and pointed forwards, "Who cares!? They're gone now. As long sa we don't head back in there, we should be fine, right?"

"Damn right!" Barret agreed, "Let's move out!"

From the edge of the forest, they stood at the summit of a small mountain cliff that overlooked the entire Forgotten Capitol. A small pathway made of shells and rocks lined the way down towards the mountain and through the city, where a cluster of barren, white trees marked the direct center of the city. It was here where they would be headed. It was where the White Materia was.

It was where Aerith had died.

It was the first time she had returned to the city since she had died. The memories and pain that she had felt were all starting to come back to her, after she had tried desperately to push them away.

She continued to look off into the distant city, never turning away to look at any of her companions. The only one of them that had noticed was Cloud.

Reno pointed down towards the path, "Come on, guys! The city's just up ahead." He began to lead the group down the pathway.

Aerith continued to look onward.

Cloud called out to his friends, "You guys go on ahead. We'll catch up."

His companions nodded and waved them off, continuing to make their way down the trail, leaving Cloud and Aerith on the promontory looking towards the city.

Silence had fallen between them. The only sound came from the small wind that lightly grazed their skin. Cloud knew that returning to this place would be difficult for the both of them.

Aerith's heart fluttered with many emotions; of happiness and love when she saw Cloud and all of her friends standing strong beside her, but also of sadness when she knew that the descent down into this city would lead to her death for the second time. It was a complex assortment of emotions that had been welling up inside of her this entire time and now, they were about ready to overflow from her.

It was from that exact cliff that she stood when she looked down onto the Forgotten Capitol the first time she had come to the city. Only now, she had Cloud by her side.

Aerith spoke up, her gentle voice cutting through the silence. "It's funny."

Cloud looked over at her when she spoke.

She lowered her head, "I thought all of this would be easier somehow."

She paused, taking a deep breath. She continued to look for the right words to say. "I'd return from the Lifestream, I'd find the White Materia and I'd have the power to defeat Jenova for good. I'd return to the Lifestream after my goal was complete. Life would continue the way it was supposed to..."

"I would save the day, save everyone again." Her gaze remained focused down onto the city. "I'm a flower girl from the slums of Midgar. I'm not some savior, I'm a tool to the planet; continuously having to risk my own life so that everyone can live theirs."

Cloud nodded, understandingly. If anything, he didn't want her to have to go through this anymore than she did.

She spoke again, "I want all of this to be over. I want to know that my family, my friends, the people that I love, I want to know that they'll be ok. That's why I have to do this."

She turned to Cloud, a small smile appearing on her face. She brought up her hands, gently wrapping them around his waist, pulling him into an embrace. "You are my Promised Land. I was just lucky enough to have found it after searching all this time."

She rested her head onto his shoulder, cherishing this moment with him. Even if the end was to come now, she wouldn't mind. He was there by her side yet again, as he continuously would be. Even in her last moments, he would be there for her, always. There was nothing that could surpass the overwhelming feelings that she had for him in her heart.

She looked up to face him, tears starting to well up in her bright, emerald eyes. She smiled, "And I want you to know that I love you...more than anything.""

She pulled away from him and started down the path.

Her words had spread a warmth though him, one that burned down his shy, rough demeanor, just like they always had. Though, Cloud felt like his heart was breaking. This sounded more like a goodbye if he had ever heard one.

"Aerith...don't go." Cloud called out to her.

She stopped in her tracks and turned back to face Cloud, brushing a few of her loose bangs from her face. "But...but Cloud, I have to. We knew this day would come."

"I know, but...I didn't think it would come so fast." He choked out, not wanting to be overtaken by any sort of emotion. "I thought...maybe I could find some way...to save you."

"Cloud..."

"Don't go down to that city, Aerith. Just...don't do it."

He continued, "Think about it. We can head back to Edge. You can have a normal life, away from all this mess and danger. You wouldn't have to worry about all this fighting anymore. Wouldn't you want that?"

She thought of all of the possibilities of living a normal life, one that she felt like she was never given the opportunity to live. Was this her chance now?

"I would. I could go back to Edge. I could see mom again." When she thought of how her life could be if she were to head back now, it began to excite her. "I could start selling flowers again in the city? I'm sure Edge needs them, too, right?"

Cloud smiled and nodded, excited that he was convincing her. "Definitely! I'm sure all the kids would be happy to see you again." He smiled, "We could all continue our lives back over there. Tifa and Barret would go back. Maybe Yuffie, too. The two of us can go back together."

Aerith's face softened. "Together?"

He smiled, "Yeah. With Barret and the kids and Tifa having Reno on her hands, maybe Yuffie too, the Seventh Heaven might be a bit too crowded. We could find our own place, for just us."

She smiled at the idea. Having a home that she could call her own with Cloud. A place where the two of them could build their lives together. After the difficult lives that the two of them had both lived, they could finally settle down and be happy with each other.

It was Aerith's desire for this that made her realize just how unattainable it would be.

Aerith lowered her head, "But Cloud, I can't..."

He felt surprised by her response, especially after how he was convinced that his persuasion had worked. He felt sad and lowered his head. "W-why not?"

"If I was to turn back now and let Jenova win, I couldn't live with myself. I would allow so many more people to be put in danger, after so many have already lost their lives because of her. I'm doing this to protect everybody, especially you..."

"Aerith..."

"I made a deal with the Cetra. Jenova devastated my people. I can't let her win in the end. I have to stop her. I'm the only one who can."

Cloud extended his hand down to link with hers, feeling his own tears sting his eyes. For the first time in a while, Cloud felt warm tears spill over his cheeks.

"I don't want to lose you. I don't want to fight these battles where we all have to lose in order to win. I just want us to live in peace. I want you to live a normal life. With me. Why can't we have that?" He coughed out, as sobs slowly began to choke out through his voice.

He kept his face turned from hers, not allowing her to see his break down. If anything, he did NOT want Aerith to see him acting like this. He felt so pathetic.

When Aerith heard Cloud's breath come in ragged exhales, his chest heaving, she was certain that he was crying. It just about broke her heart. She would never want to see him so hurt.

He never cried in front of anyone. He never cried at all, but realizing that he was going to lose the woman that he loved again, he felt like he had every right to.

Aerith grasped onto his shoulders, straightening him out in front of her. She looked up into his eyes, feeling fresh tears spill out of her own. "It's alright, Cloud. You don't have to feel embarrassed in front of me."

She quietly soothed him, rubbing his arms gently. "I love you for who you are, not for being some hero or some tough-guy soldier, not for what people want you to be. I love the man that took on the world's greatest enemy to fight for some flower girl he met on the streets of Midgar. I love Cloud Strife."

That was all Cloud needed to hear.

He breathed into her ear, "I love you, too."

He brought his hand up to run through her long, chestnut-brown hair, which fell loosely down her back. He lowered his lips to Aerith's soft ones, a delicate kiss placed upon them.

She kissed him back, holding onto his strong arms, which slowly moved down to her waist, holding her tightly. For that moment, all their pain and sadness, it was healed. All that mattered was each other. This is what they both wanted now and they wanted it to last forever.

Cloud's grip on her waist tightened, forcefully pressing his lips against her own. She reciprocated his movements and brought her hands up to weave through his spiky locks. She clutched at his golden spikes, the passion within the kiss increasing with every passing second.

When Cloud let out a low grunt into the kiss, Aerith parted her lips and gently slipped her tongue into Cloud's mouth. He reciprocated by sensually moving his own tongue to meet hers, swirling around her own. Their lips continued to move and part over one another..

Aerith reluctantly pulled away from him, breathless. Although she gave a small whimper of dissapointment, a small smile had formed on her lips. While it did not change her fate or the fact that they would still be venturing down into the Forgotten Capitol, this moment was what they needed.

Cloud brought his hand up to rub against her cheek lightly. The tears on both of their cheeks had dried, leaving a crimson shade in its' place. A small smile appeared on his face. Cloud was more determined than ever to fight for the woman that he loved.

Cloud tugged at her waist, pressing him up against her. His voice was a quiet whisper. "No matter what happens today, regardless of how we might be separated, I will find you again. I promise."

She leaned up and pressed her lips to his ear, "I know you will."

* * *

The group had continued their descent down into the lost City of the Ancients. There was a sense of mystery that shrouded the city. An uneasy calm seemed to flow throughout the city, as if the entire place was somehow frozen in time. Clay pathways led through the city, leading to several houses built within the walls of large shells. A single pathway led across a shimmering lake at the center of the capitol, which led the way down towards a narrow pathway, leading through a short wooden glade.

Aerith stepped along the path, Cloud's hand within her own. "Getting the White Materia isn't exactly going to be easy, unfortunately."

"Why not?" Cloud questioned.

Aerith closed her eyes, as if sensing something coming deep from within the city. "The Ancients...they're...talking to me. So many voices." A distorted look of confusion appeared across her face when she tried to discern the words that ran through her mind. "The White Materia...fell from the altar when I died. The Cetra have established a powerful barrier that prevents anyone from accessing that underground city at the center of the capitol. Not you, not Jenova, not even myself can access that path to retrieve the materia."

"Figures." Cloud muttered under his breath, though he was slightly relieved that Aerith's intentions wouldn't come to pass.

Yuffie added, "Leave it to the Cetra to complicate matters."

Aerith smiled down at the girl, "Well, you remember how things happened back at the Temple of the Ancients, right? The Cetra aren't the type to let powerful artifacts fall into anyone's hands without at least solving a few puzzles. They still have quite a few tricks up their sleeves, even from the Lifestream."

"So, whadda we do now?" Barret questioned, "We hope that another Cait Sith comes around and gets it for us again?"

Aerith shook her head and let out a small giggle. "No, we won't have to worry about that. I'll find another route to the materia."

Barret raised an eyebrow at Aerith's confident statement, "And how you gonna do that, girl?"

"Like I said, the Cetra still have a few tricks up their sleeves. Myself included." She kept focus, intently trying to achieve communication with the Cetra from the Lifestream. Their words seemed to guide her, though she couldn't necessarily determine everything that they were saying. They were worlds apart, after all. Still, their words led her down one of the paths which led off towards the right side of the city.

When the team started to follow, Tifa turned back to find that Vincent was not following. "You aren't coming with us?"

"No."

"Why-"

Reno nodded, " Ah, I think he's staying back to make sure that none of our skeletal friends from the Sleeping Forest come and pay us a visit down here." He smirked, "Better him than me, I guess!"

Tifa turned around and gave Reno a serious look, one that made him realize that his jokes would maybe sound better at a different time. "Reno, knock it off."

"You know what, Teef? I'll stay behind and make sure Vincent's ass don't get in any trouble." Barret chimed in. "We're buds after all, right Vinny?" He gave Vincent a wide grin.

Vincent stared at Barret and simply put, didn't say a single word.

"I'll stay with them, too." Red added. "It'd be better for us to split up anyway. We'll make sure that the city is secure so that all of you can find that materia without any diversions." He lifted his nose up slightly and scanned the perimeter of the city, almost as if trying to sense any sort of fiend that could have been trespassing into the Forbidden Capitol.

Tifa smiled back at the three, "You sure you'll be alright?"

Barret waved her off, "We'll be fine! We got things covered up here! Just make sure Aerith does what she gotta do and Spike doesn't do anything stupid and we good!"

Tifa laughed, "Got it!"

The group continued onwards, following Aerith towards one of the shell houses in the city. The capitol truly was a lost realm forgotten by the rest of the world. Not a single person or fiend could be seen for miles and miles. After Rufus' destructive materia had destroyed much of the continent, it was rather uncommon to find anyone traversing the paths through the capitol or anywhere beyond the Bone Village, for that matter. While the city used to be abandoned, the present city was barely an existant memory.

Aerith stopped in front of one of the shell houses and kneeled down. She gently closed her eyes and lowered her head, closely examining the many voices that traveled through her mind. "It's here. We can find the way to the White Materia in here."

"Really? Awesome! That was easier than I thought!" Yuffie marched up towards the shell house and entered. She was followed inside by Tifa and Reno.

Cloud knelt down beside Aerith and carefully helped her to her feet.

"Thanks, Cloud."

He kept her arms clasped in his hands. "Aerith, are you sure I should do this?"

"Cloud, I thought we talked about this. I'll be alright."

He stopped her. "No, I meant me. Are you sure I should...go along with all of you, too?"

"Okay, what are you talking about?"

He lowered his head, "Bad things happen here, especially to the two of us. Before you died, Jenova...she...she nearly manipulated me...to attack you...to hurt you!"

"But Cloud, you didn't."

"But I could have! I would never want to do anything to hurt you, Aerith."

She placed her head down onto his chest, "I know, Cloud. But do you realize that out of all the times Jenova tried to make you do her will, the only time you were able to fight it off was when you tried to attack me? That says a lot about your strength."

Cloud shook his head, "I would never be able to live with myself if I hurt you. I felt like such an idiot for being manipulated like that."

She squeezed his waist, "I would have forgiven you for anything. It wasn't your fault, Cloud. It never was."

A small smile spread across his lips. "Just give me a good smack if I ever do something stupid like that again."

She nodded and giggled, "Deal. And I promise that once this is all over today, we will never come back to this place ever again, alright?"

He nodded and outstretched his hand towards hers, "Alright. Let's get going then."

She took hold of his hand, "Let's go, bodyguard!"

She led him through the opening of the shell house, where the two of them had reunited with the Tifa, Reno and Yuffie.

Yuffie chimed, "Took you guys long enough!"

Cloud waved her off, "Sorry."

Tifa glanced about the house. The floors were oddly made out of wood, while the rest of the decor of the house featured earthly artifacts made from sticks and clamshells. These homes dated back to the earliest races of the Cetra. These were their first homes that they had established for themselves thousands of years ago. It was remarkable that the majority of them had remained intact after all this time.

"Aerith, what exactly are we looking for in here?"

Aerith brought her hand up to her chin and thought for a second, "I'm not exactly sure."

"Well, that's helpful." Reno replied, sarcastically.

Aerith ignored Reno's remark and focused on communicating with the Cetra instead. Somehow, within the confines of the house's walls, talking to the Cetra seemed undeniably easier. Her inherent Cetra abilities proved useful time and time again. When she was finished listening to the Cetra's words, she opened her eyes and glanced around the room. From the look on her face, it looked as if she just solved the most difficult piece to a complicated puzzle.

"There's a powerful artifact in here. One that will should lead the way to the White Materia. If we could just find it, the materia will fall right into our hands. It's quite simple, really."

Reno rolled his eyes, "So, you're saying that we have to find one powerful artifact...to find another powerful artifact?

Aerith crossed her arms and began tapping her foot, stubbornly. "Oh, I didn't realize you had any other suggestions. Care to offer?"

Reno wasn't going to put up any fights with the Cetra. He understood that, above anyone else here, Aerith was not the one to argue with. He simply replied, "Carry on. How do you know all of this anyway."

"I'm a Cetra. It's one of my abilities. Communicating with the other Cetra from the Lifestream isn't easy, but in a place like this, everything is much clearer."

Aerith turned to one of the walls, examining a small glowing turquoise orb on the wall. She hesitantly moved to place her hands around the orb. When the orb was placed in her palms, a blue wave shot around the room, illuminating several symbols and undecipherable letters imbedded deep within the walls.

"Whoa!" Yuffie cheered.

Aerith took a look around the room and examined each of the symbols. To the normal person, these letters were completely foreign; they meant very little and would always be perceived as a lost language that one would never understand. However, to Aerith, she knew exactly what each symbol meant.

Slowly, she began reading each symbol out loud. "Cetra...Stone...Mechanism..."

Yuffie leaned into Cloud, "What she saying?"

Cloud shook his head and whispered back, "I don't know. It's in some...other language."

Aerith continued, "Waterway...Sanctum...Lineage...City..." When she was finished, she turned back to them and smiled.

Reno spoke up, raising an eyebrow at the brunette. "Are you alright? Are you going crazy? You were talking in some crazy language a few seconds ago."

Aerith's eyes widened, a look of confusion flashing across her face. "I was? It felt so natural to me. I...I didn't realize I could even do that."

Tifa stepped forward, "So, do you know what to do?"

Aerith nodded and turned back to the glowing orb held along the walls. She reached towards the orb and pulled it from its' confinement. As soon as she had done so, the symbols and lettering along the walls had instantly disappeared. With the orb now in her hand, she turned back to them.

"We need this. It's called the Cetra Stone. Only a descendant of the Cetra like me would know how to be able to use it."

Yuffie smiled, "There the Cetra go again with their absolutely, overly-complicated ways. Thank Gawd, we have you here."

Aerith smiled, "This will...open a passageway into a secret sanctum...a sort of sanctuary kept hidden deep within the forgotten city. From there, we should be granted access to the White Materia. We have to access a sort of mechanism just up ahead at the back of the city."

Cloud nodded, "Sounds good." The two of them walked out of the house, followed behind by Yuffie.

Tifa turned to Reno and gently pushed him out of the house, "Come on, let's go."

Reno sighed, "Why do these plans always sound very easy and logical outloud, but when we actually do them it's a total pain in the ass?

She smiled, "Don't know."

"This is one hell of an adventure and I do mean HELL. When we get back to Edge, I hope you're already aware that I will be drunk at your bar for the next month. Be prepared."

"Oh, I'm already looking forward to it."

* * *

From the overlooking cliffs that looked down upon the Forgotten Capitol, Jenova stared down into the city. She had followed the group to the base of the city. She had waited all this time for them to return to the city, where they would retrieve the White Materia. Once it was in Jenova's grasp, there would be no hope of survival for anyone on the planet. She would pry it from their cold, dead grasps with much delight if she had to.

'So, it has finally all come back to where it all began. The Cetra will meet their pitiful demise today, as they should have done many years ago. That girl and her materia cannot keep her safe any longer. She'll have to be taken care of yet again, as well.'

Jenova looked down from the cliff and spotted Barret, Red and Vincent on the outskirts of the city, holding their ground firmly.

'Hmph. The fools. I see the Cetra has more than one bodyguard. What an unfortunate shame that they'll have to die to fight for her.'

Jenova turned back and spotted the decayed remains from the skeletal figures that emerged from deep within the Sleeping Forest. A wicked grin spread across her face when she approached the remains from the dozen of bodies. She extended her blood-red limps forward, crawling across the bony, flesh-fallen bodies, almost as if she was nurturing them.

"Rise." Her voice demanded.

One by one, each of the figures began to recover, slowly stumbling to their feet. Their wounds began to mend, replaced by blood-red flesh. Jenova smiled, realizing that her cells that she had implemented into the fallen corpses were working wonderfully. These zombie-like figures beckoned her every whim and demand. They seemed powerful, stronger than before and would surely provide a disastrous challenge.

Jenova pointed down into the city, towards the three friends that remained alert at its' base. "Go. Kill them all." The creatures let out a small groan of adherence, as their bodies became use to the new life that had been breathed into them. They slowly marched down the pathway leading towards the city, determined to slaughter the three that awaited at its' entrance.

Jenova looked down at the army that she had formed, before turning to face the forested area that came from within the center of the city. While her new allegiance would take care of the friends awaiting at the entrance of the city, she had more important, much more dire matters to take care of.

'Where's the Cetra now?'

At the base of the city, Barret, Red and Vincent stood, searching the area for any trespassers. If anything, they did not want anyone or anything to interfere with Aerith's plans. Whatever she was doing, they wanted her to get it done and done quickly.

Barret called out a bit too loudly, "You know what, this is stupid! Ain't no fiends gonna be marching their way down here! This place is a ghost town. Ain't nuthin' gonna be happenin'!"

"Remain alert." Vincent spoke, his dark eyes showing masked determination.

As if on cue, Red's ears perked up and the wolverine glanced around, sensing a sort of disturbance. "Did you hear that?"

The two other men look around, caught by surprise by Red's words. From Barret's earlier tangent, it caused their focus to dwindle for just a mere moment.

"We're not alone." Vincent calmly stated.

"What the hell are ya-" Barret was cut off when they saw the approaching skeletal figures coming down the mountain. "Oh, hell no! Those fucks again! What the hell Vincent!? I thought you said they were dead!"

"They already are dead. Something aside from the Sleeping Forest must be keeping their bodies sustained."

"Then good thing we stayed back and kept watch here!" Red shouted back at them, "We can't afford to let them into the city and get to the others!" He turned back before lunging towards the creatures. He ferociously took out one of the creatures.

Barret turned to face Vincent, "You ready for this? It ain't gonna be a walk in the park."

Vincent didn't reply. From his belt holster, he removed one of his short range hand guns and pointed it towards the creatures, carefully stepping forward. With each step he took, his finger added a bit more pressure onto the trigger, ready to fire and claim his victim's life.

Barret himself checked to make sure that he was prepared for battle, before rushing forwards. "Alright then! Let's show 'em what we got!"

* * *

Aerith raced her way up towards one of the shell pathways, leading towards the back of the city. The other members of the group followed closely behind her.

"Aerith, where are you going?" Cloud called out to her.

She pointed a little bit further up the pathway, which led into a small alcove at the back of city. "It's just up ahead."

When they had reached the end of the path and entered into the alcove, Aerith took a moment to catch her breath. They had found themselves on a cliff in the center of a large circular room. The walls of the room had crumbled over the course of many years and were obviously in a state of disrepair. In the center of the room was a circular pedestal which remained suspended in the air from a sole ramp which connected to a sole staircase at the opposite side of the room. A lush waterfall cascaded down, completely surrounding the pedestal and emptying out into a seemingly endless lagoon below.

Reno's eyes widened, in slight awe from the mystery and beauty of the place. "Whoa...nice change of scenery. Aerith, what is this?"

Aerith concentrated, listening intently to the voices that ran through her mind. "This...is the entrance to the Cetra's sanctum. It's a safe haven that they constructed many years ago as a way to hide from Jenova. Only a Cetra would be able to open it, however."

Yuffie chimed in, "Well, then good thing we have you!"

Cloud examined the area, "And the sanctum will lead us to the White Materia?"

Aerith turned to him and nodded, "I hope. Now watch."

From within one of her pockets, she removed the Cetra Stone, which illuminated an intense blue color. She made her way over towards one of the rocks, which had a series of indentations and marks along it. As she traced the orb along the rock, the marks seemed to illuminate in the same bright color as the orb. She pressed her palm against the rock, sensing the source of energy that seemed to travel through the stone.

After another moment of waiting, Reno looked about the room. "Well, now what do we do?"

Aerith pointed over to the cascading waterfall at the center of the room. "Over there."

Reno sighed and cross his arms, already not liking the sound of these plans. He raised his eyebrows at her, "You want us to go through there?"

She turned back to Reno and smiled, "No, I want to go through there. You don't have to come along if you're that afraid. In fact, it would probably be a better idea if a few of us stayed above ground up here."

Tifa turned to her friend, "Why?"

Aerith lowered her head, "Well...if the Cetra Stone stops working and we're in the sanctum, we might..."

Cloud looked at her, concerned. "What?"

She finished, "We might drown."

Reno's mouth fell. "Seriously? Damn. How do you know all this?"

She continued, "So, that's why some of you have to stay up here and make sure that nothing happens with the stone. Got it?" She particularly stared at Reno, as if warning him not to mess anything up.

"Well, I'm going with you." Cloud stated, determined to see Aerith's mission through, willing to be by her side every step of the way.

She nodded and turned to glance at TIfa, Yuffie and Reno. "Is that alright? You three stay behind and keep an eye on things here."

Tifa nodded, "If anything happens down there, just make sure that you two can get yourselves out."

Yuffie threw her arms around Aerith, "Be safe."

"Don't worry, we will." Once Aerith was released from Yuffie's embrace, she turned to Cloud. "We'd better hurry then."

Cloud took hold of Aerith's hand, carefully leading her along the perimeter of the fallen debris of the circular landing. They walked along the wet pavement, leading towards the ramp which led into the waterfall. They carefully walked across the wet ramp, stopping just before the cascading waterfall.

Cloud tightened his grip on Aerith's hand, "You ready?"

Aerith gave a small nod and gently squeezed his hand in response.

He carefully placed his hand forward, as it slipped through the rippling wall of water, disappearing through the thick waterfall. The two of them quickly made their way through the waterfall, feeling the intense coldness of the water running against their skin.

Once on the other side, Cloud wiped the water from his face and ran a hand through his now wet spiky hair. "It's freezing!"

Aerith tossed her soaked hair over her shoulder and led Cloud towards the center of the suspended platform. The platform was completely surrounded by the cascading waterfall. In the center of the platform was a mysterious crystal, which was imbedded deep into the ground of the platform. The sunlight from above reflected off of the crystal's surface, sending an array of colors across the cascading waterfalls.

Aerith walked over towards the crystal and placed her hand on its' cold, ornate surface. As soon as the Cetra came in contact with the item, it began to glow. The platform suddenly jolted, catching the two of them off guard.

Cloud grasped onto Aerith's arm, making sure she would not fall. "What was that?"

Aerith looked around, "The entrance into the sanctum is opening."

The platform jolted again, before slowly lowering down. As they lowered, the crystal at the center slowly started to spin, as if controlling the descent of the platform. From below them, the sound of the cascading waterfall grew louder and louder, until they could hear the sound of the rushing water right beneath them.

Cloud was certain that they were going the drown. "Aerith..." He looked at her concerned, but was surprised to see that she had remained oddly calm.

She instructed, "Don't worry." She took hold of his hand, gripping onto him tightly. The platform beneath their feet then submerged beneath the surface of the water, as the two of them slowly began to sink into the lake.

"Aerith!"

She wrapped her arms around Cloud's waist a bit tighter, pulling him into a quick embrace. The platform beneath them continued to sink deeper into the depths of the lake. Cloud and Aerith slowly sunk into the depths of the lake until finally, they were completely submerged into the depths of the water.

Cloud instantly began to panic and struggle, but when he felt Aerith's embrace around him tighten, he took a moment to calm down and focus. He realized that he was not drowning, but rather, that he could actually still breathe. Under the water, it felt as though he was still breathing air, as if he was still on land. It felt quite miraculous and unnerving all at once, to say the least.

They could feel the ancient platform continue to shift beneath their feet, moving about the water, sinking deeper into the unexplored depths of the lagoon. When Cloud had opened his eyes, albeit it was blurry, he saw that the platform was moving about a sea of beautiful coral and undersea life. Just up ahead, they could see an underwater structure. It appeared to be some sort of temple, built from stone and rock. While many of the structures in the Forgotten Capitol were rarely visited, they were certain that the only people that had ever trekked this deep into the city were the Ancients that had constructed the temple, itself.

The platform pushed through the doors of the temple, entering into the sanctum, itself. A moment later, the platform began to ascend, pushing up through the water, returning Cloud and Aerith to the stone entrance inside of the temple.

The moment they emerged, there was a sigh of relief. They had made it to the other side.

Cloud wiped his brow and sighed, relieved. "I wasn't expecting...that."

Aerith got up and helped Cloud to his feet. "Come on, we got to hurry. I don't want to keep the other waiting up there long. There has to be some other passage within here that should take us to the White Materia."

Aerith walked a few more steps into the sanctum, taking in the cold, damp atmosphere of the place. The stone walls were slightly cracked and the ground was covered in puddles. The steady drip of water could be heard throughout the sanctum. A chill swept through the temple, causing a shiver to escape from Aerith.

She turned back to him, "The good news - we won't have to worry about any fiends down here."

Cloud smiled to himself. She was always trying to look for the bright side of things, even in an unfortunate situation. "So, the Cetra, they really built all of this?"

She nodded, "When the Cetra first established themselves in this city, they wanted a place where they could be safe from the many things that could do them harm, mainly Jenova. They built many of them across the world, this one, the Temple of the Ancients; so many of them hidden right before our eyes, but all with the same intent, a haven for them to be safe."

"That's...incredible."

"They had kept their most precious artifacts within these sanctums; the White Materia, the Black Materia, so many powerful artifacts kept secret to the Cetra."

The two walked into the next room, which featured another platform, similar to the one that they had just arrived on. They noticed that across the stone walls of the room, there were many different foreign letters and words. Each word was linked by a single line engraved into the wall. The room was completely surrounded by these foreign words, displayed across the walls, the floor and the ceiling. The single line connected through all of the words, stopping at one final foreign word.

Cloud examined it all, "What is this?"

Aerith looked around and examined the words. "This is the complete lineage of the Cetra. These are the names of all of the Cetra in this world's history."

"There's so many of them."

"We were an entire race, after all." Her fingers traced over the engraved line connecting each word, as she read the names out loud. "Kyscarth...Bartharice...Ifalna..." She turned back to Cloud and pointed at the word. "That's my mother!"

Cloud smiled at her excitement, a bit excited himself that he was able to explore the history of Aerith's lineage.

She continued to trace down the line which led from her mother's name, stopping at the last word, which stood by itself, ending the chain of names. "Aerith..." She noticed the abrupt, swift line that was engraved underneath her name, ending the chain of the Cetra lineage.

She sighed, "There would never be any Cetra after me...I was never meant to carry on the Cetra lineage. I was always meant to be the last Cetra." She lowered her eyes, saddened, as she traced her hand over her name.

Cloud gently gripped onto her shoulders, gently comforting her. He could imagine what she must be going through, to realize that she were the last, the final segment of a great race of people. There would be no more after her, ever. She were to never have a child that would continue the Cetra race and that broke her heart.

Cloud felt that his own dreams had been trampled over, but this wasn't about him. He was there for her, to support her, no matter how much time they had left with one another.

"Hey. It's alright. I'm here for you."

Aerith nodded and turned away from the wall. "Thank you, Cloud. I'm sorry. I shouldn't have let this get to me."

"You don't need to apologize. I understand, Aerith."

She grasped his hand and led him further into the room, looking back at her name on the wall. "Come on, Cloud. We'd better hurry." She led him off towards the other platform and activated it. The platform began to ascend downward, heading deeper into the sanctum.

* * *

Reno took a seat beside the glowing stone, as Tifa and Yuffie watched nearby. He had already lost his patience and wanted to head out of the city. He let out a frustrated groan.

"Reno, calm down. We're on the lookout to make sure that everything is alright up here while they take care of matters down there," Tifa chastised.

Yuffie leaned down and examined the rock, tracing her fingers over the glowing indentations. She looked down into the waterfall which cascaded down into the lake, leading towards the sanctum. "Well, I just hope the two of them get back up here soon. This place is giving me the creeps."

"Yeah, me too." Tifa nodded, understandingly. "I wonder how Barret and the others are doing."

Just at the entrance of the city, the battle between Barret, Red and Vincent against the creatures from the Sleeping Forest carried on.

Barret turned to face one of the zombies prowling towards Red. "Red, watch out!"

The red wolverine bolted out of the way, just in time to dodge the zombie's lunge forward. The zombie stood there, perplexed at the wolverine's sudden movement. The creature was certain that he would have attacked Red. Instead, the zombie was met with a series of bullets shot from Barret's grafted arm.

Red raced down the path, lunging towards a set of creatures that were trailing off towards the back of the capitol. The wolverine pounced down onto the three creatures, sending them to the floor. Upon impact, some of the creatures limbs had dislodged and fell from their already deteriorating bodies. Red's jaw and sharp teeth clamped down onto the bodies of the vicious creatures, tearing their bodies apart.

Barret continued his onslaught, shooting down the creatures that were before him. There must have been about ten of them continuing to follow them. Even the creatures that had been shot down had gathered the energy to recover, slowly stumbling back to their feet. The battle seemed endless.

Barret turned to face the zombie that he had just shot down, surprised to see that the creature had already recovered. "Dammit! How the hell we supposed to win when these damn things keep coming back!" Barret was cut off when the grafted gun in his arm stopped firing bullets. He continued trying to fire the gun, but the weapon only produced a small clicking sound. He quickly checked his ammunition, frustrated to see that there was none left.

"Shit!" One of the creatures lunged towards Barret. The man blocked the creature with his opposite arm, pushing the enemy down to the ground.

Vincent called out to Barret, "Catch." The caped man tossed Barret one of his own hand guns, while proceeding to fore his own at one of the approaching enemies.

With his good hand, Barret barely caught the hand gun and pointed it off towards the approaching grotesque figures. "Thanks, man! Let's take these guys out!" He continued to fire the gun.

* * *

Cloud and Aerith stood on the platform, descending deeper down into the sanctum.

Cloud turned to her, "Aerith, where is this taking us?"

"It should lead us to the waters at the base of the underground city, where the White Materia is." She closed her eyes and tried concentrating, listening to the voices of the Cetra in her head. Here, more than anywhere else, they sounded perfectly clear. "There...there is an underwater channel that leads to the waters beneath that city. From there, we'll be able to obtain the White Materia."

The platform descended down through the stone chamber, before it slowly began to submerge into the waters beneath the temple. The couple found were soon up to their waist in water. Before they knew it, they were up to their necks.

They were then completely submerged beneath the lake, feeling the platform beneath their feet continuing to shift and move the underwater grotto. Remarkably, they found themselves still able to breathe, yet again. The platform exited from within the temple and moved about the waters beneath the underground city, the same place where Aerith had died.

Aerith looked up and tried to see through the water. Through her blurry vision, she could barely make out the image of an altar up above the surface of the water. She tried to talk to Cloud, though her voice was distorted and muffled by the water. "The White Materia is near."

The platform descended down lower until it stopped abruptly when it had reached the watery ground. Through his blurred vision, Cloud saw a white glowing orb just before the platform, amidst a small garden of coral and seaweed. "There it is..."

Before them, the White Materia glowed a light green hue, which seemed to illuminate the waters around it. It was bright and beautiful, standing out from the tranquil waters of the underground city.

Aerith extended her hand out towards the orb and grasped it, obtaining it within her grasps. She had finally retrieved the item that she had lost some time ago. It was rightfully her and now, she had finally obtained it again. It was the key to Jenova's defeat. She turned around to Cloud, a wide smile on her face.

Almost instantly, the platform began to glide back through the waters, carrying the soldier and the flower girl along with it. The platform entered back through the underground passage, leading back up through the hidden temple. Moments later, the platform shot back up through the surface of the water, returning Cloud and Aerith to the land.

The two took a moment to recover. Even though they were still able to breathe under the water, it felt as though they could have been holding their breath for the longest time. Aerith grasped the White Materia in her palm. "We...we did it."

Cloud nodded, "Yeah, we did."

She pushed her damp hair back over her shoulder, brushing the loose strands of hair away from her face. She carefully eyes the White Materia in her hands, examining the crystalline surface of the orb. It sparkled and shimmered in her grasp, as she sensed the immense power held behind such a small item. "It's exactly as the Cetra said it would happen. I'd return from the Lifestream, I'd find the White Materia..."

"...and then we'd defeat Jenova with its' power...then, you'd..." Cloud finished for her.

Aerith nodded. She took a moment to glance around the room, examining all of the Cetra names along the wall. "I've taken long enough already. I have to honor the requests of my ancestors. It's time I ended this for good."

Cloud lowered his head, sorrowful. This was the end of their mission. This was the end of Aerith's journey. After this, he would go back to living a normal life, but he'd be doing it without her yet again. He hated the thought of that.

He spoke up, "You're certain? You're really going to do this?"

She brought her hands up to his, looking at him with a hint of desperation in her eyes.

"Cloud, we've talked about this. We knew that this would happen. I...I can't stop now, even if it meant I was going to die. I've come too far to not see this through."

He looked up into her eyes, biting his lower lip. He whispered, "I know, Aerith, but I...I don't want to lose you again."

Aerith brought her hand up to his cheek, gently brushing his soft, warm skin. "Cloud..."

He closed his eyes, relishing in her gentle touch, if only for a brief moment.

Aerith pulled him into an embrace. He wrapped her arms around her small waist, burying his face into her shoulder. It was then when she noticed the new engraving on the wall next to her name.

A new line appeared to be coming down from her name, one that was similar to all of the other lines that connected each Cetra's name to each other, completing the Cetra's lineage. The line was faint and dim, but she could not mistake it. The engraved line was there. The line meant that a new Cetra would one day be born; the Cetra lineage was not complete.

Aerith smiled to herself, feeling tears begin to well up in her eyes when realization had struck her. "I'm going to have a child."

Cloud pulled back from the embrace and stared at her with an expression of absolute confusion. "What?'

She repeated, in slight awe. "I'm going to have a child."

Cloud shook his head, trying to make sense of everything that was happening. "Hold on. I'm...lost."

She took hold of his hands and brought him over towards the wall. "Come here. Look." She pointed down towards the new line engraved from her name. "See? There's line following my name. There's going to be new Cetra. I'm going to have a child...one day...!" Her words took her breath away, almost as if she couldn't believe what she was actually saying.

Cloud smiled, bringing his hands up to her face. "We're going to make it through this. I...I won't lose you today. Everything's going to be alright." He brought her into a tight embrace when realization had dawned upon him.

She smiled into his chest, "You were right. Everything did work itself out."

Cloud pulled back from her slightly, "It is going to be a boy, right? I mean-"

She placed a finger onto his lips, a wide grin spread across her face, "Wait and see."

"I...can't believe this. How is this all possible?" Cloud sighed, a relieved smile on his face. All of his fears and worries about losing Aerith were gone. She was going to be alright.

Aerith raised the White Materia. "I think it was this. Maybe...the Cetra knew that if I was to obtain the materia, I would live. They work in mysterious ways."

"Well, if that is the case, I'm grateful." Cloud smiled, "Aerith, we're going to defeat Jenova and put an end to all of this."

Aerith returned the smile, gripping onto his arms. "This will all be over and we can finally have a normal life. Together."

Cloud nodded and led her back towards the opposite side of the cavern. "Let's head back to the others!"

Tifa, Yuffie and Reno nervously waited in the ruins at the back end of the city, awaiting the return of Cloud and Aerith.

Tifa began to nervously tap her foot. She wanted to remain calm, especially for her own sake. She knew that when it came down to precarious situations, her mind would always wander to the worst places, getting the better of her nerves. She quietly decided to push the thoughts from her mind and focus on making sure that the rock was still properly activated.

Reno sighed, "I thought they said they were going to make it quick."

"I thought that, too." Tifa replied, frustrated.

He countered, "So, then what's the hold up?"

Tifa snapped back, "How am I supposed to know?" She didn't mean to sound so frustrated with Reno and she regretted her words the moment they escaped her lips. She blamed it on her nerves and impatience.

Yuffie stomped her foot. "Oh, cut it out, you two! I'm not getting paid to handle the two of you...Actually, I'm not getting paid at all. Now, be nice!"

Tifa opened her mouth to reply, but she knew that Yuffie was right. She was starting to take advice from Yuffie now? The young ninja truly was a changed person.

Yuffie examined the rock, noticing that the illuminated indentations within the rock had stopped glowing. "Huh?" The Cetra Stone then fell from within the rock, falling to the ground at her feet. "Oh no! It's not working anymore. The sanctum's closing!"

Tifa's eyes widened, "Cloud and Aerith could be killed!"

"What'll we do!?" Reno snapped.

Yuffie went down to pick up the Cetra Stone and tried to place it into the indentations of the rock. She tried several times to no avail. "Ugh, Aerith is the only one who can make this thing work!"

There was a sudden rumble from beneath them. They felt the entire ruins begin to tremble and shake. The small debris lining the ruins clattered at their feet. They looked down into the center of the lake, sensing as though some great source was rushing up, pushing through the lake.

Tifa looked down into the lake, feeling the impulse grow closer and closer. "What's that?"

Reno could only shake his head, "Something powerful..."

From within the lake, Cloud and Aerith shot up above the surface on the platform, ascending up to the ramp leading to the ruins. A torrent of water suspended them up in the air, completely surrounding them, lifting them up towards the surface. A great wave splashed up from the lake when the sanctum was closed and locked below the water's surface. Cloud and Aerith crouched down due to the sheer force of the watery impulse that shot forward. They took a moment to recover, their breath catching up with them.

Cloud gently took hold of Aerith. "You alright?"

Aerith smiled up at him, "Mhm. I'm tougher than you think." Aerith looked down from the ramp and saw Tifa, Reno and Yuffie standing there, cheering them on.

Tifa called out, "Are you two alright?"

"You did it!" Yuffie jumped up into the air.

Aerith raised the White Materia and showed it off in front of them. "We did."

Cloud carefully led Aerith through the waterfall and across the ramp, where they reunited with the others.

"Everything go ok down there?" Tifa said.

Cloud shrugged, but gave a small reserved smile towards Aerith. "For the most part."

"Well, at least you have the White Materia and made it back here in one piece." Yuffie replied. "But Aerith, what about you now? Is...is this goodbye?"

Aerith quickly shot a glance towards Cloud, before returning the her other three friends. "No, it's not goodbye. You don't have to worry about a thing. I think...the White Materia will rebound whatever force might have killed me otherwise."

Tifa exclaimed, "Really? That's great!"

Reno added, "Well, then I guess all that's left is to find Jenova and make sure we give her one hell of a fight, am I right?"

Aerith smiled, "Believe me, I think she'll find us before we find her."

"That I will."

The group turned around to be met by Jenova's grotesque figure standing a few meters away from them, blockading the exit from the ruins.

"Jenova." Aerith stated, calmly.

Jenova wickedly laughed, "The Cetra. I believed it's time we settled things, haven't we?" The creature slithered a few steps forward, moving closer towards Aerith.

As soon as Jenova has moved, Cloud extended his arm out in front of Aerith, blocking her, while pointing his sword directly at Jenova. "Don't even try it. You do anything to hurt her and so help me..."

"How terrifying." Jenova mocked.

"My thoughts exactly." Yuffie chimed in, sassily placing her hand on her waist, "You're appearance really IS terrifying. You look like a garbage bag stuffed with dirty socks."

"Quiet little girl." Jenova gritted through her teeth and turned back to the others. "Shouldn't you be concerned about those other fools, as well..."

Tifa exclaimed, "Barret and the others? What did you do to them!?"

"They must be suffering some painful death about now from those creatures in the Sleeping Forest that you neglected to take care of."

"No!" Yuffie cried out.

Jenova turned back to Aerith, "Now, hand over the White Materia, Cetra."

Aerith questioned, angered. "And why would I do that?"

"To spare you all of these troubles and maybe your life, as well."

Aerith countered, "I'm not as naive as I look, Jenova." She truly wasn't. Many people assumed her to always be a timid and naive flower girl, but truly, Aerith was a strong, determined woman who broke down all of the stereotypes of the typical damsel in distress. Not only could she take care of herself, but she was far smarter than anyone would think.

Jenova snickered, "Well, if you're willing to put your life on the line, then I should be kind enough to take it one last time, Cetra." Jenova shot one of her limbs forward, aiming towards Aerith.

Cloud brought his buster sword up and quickly brought it down, severing Jenova's arm from her body. Jenova screamed out in pain, clutching the oozing remains of her arm. "You fool!"

Cloud quickly took hold of Aerith's hand. "Let's go." With that, he led her around the circular ruins of the chamber, quickly trailing away from the creature. Jenova began to prowl after them.

"Nuh-uh! I don't think so!" Yuffie intercepted Jenova and raised her shuriken into the air, trying to slash at the creature. Jenova caught Yuffie off-guard and extended out one of her limbs, tripping the young ninja, causing her to fall to the ground, rolling off through the debris surrounding the ruins. It took Yuffie a few moments to stumble back to her feet. It was the first time she had received a hit like that in a while.

Cloud and Aerith weaved their way through the ruins passages, feeling the presence of Jenova behind them.

Cloud tightly grasped onto Aerith's hand, making sure that she was keeping up with him every step of the way. "Come on, Aerith! Let's go." He quickly bolted around the circular hallway around the perimeter of the ruins, hiding the two of them behind one of the ancient stone cylinders.

Aerith removed the White Materia from her pocket and began to study the orb.

Cloud looked down at her, "What are you doing?"

"Getting ready to use this." She intently focused on the materia, examining how the orb began to grow slightly brighter. "It's working. It feels very powerful, especially in a place like this. It's growing stronger with each second."

Cloud sensed Jenova's presence approaching. "There's no time for that! We have to move!" He continued to lead her behind the columns surrounding the circular ruins. They were starting to head back to their starting point, just off of the central platform.

From the opposite side of the circular chamber, Jenova spotted the couple and raised one of her limbs towards her head. From Jenova's forehead, a bright beam of energy began to build up. The energy built into a beam, which shot like a laser, directed right towards Cloud and Aerith.

"Look out!" Cloud called out, taking hold of Aerith and leaping towards the floor, just barely dodging the blast. Cloud fell to the floor with Aerith falling down on top of him. From just above them, they heard the loud blast from Jenova's attack shake the ruin walls. The two of the covered one another, carefully making sure that no falling debris from the blast would hurt either one of them.

Jenova reared back, building up another strong impulse from her forehead. With an anguished snarl, she let out another blast of energy sent directly towards the couple.

They were barely able to recover from the first attack before Jenova's next attack was already threatening their lives. Aerith turned around and raised her arm forward, forming a barrier in front of her and Cloud, deflecting the attack. As soon as the source of energy had made contact with the barrier, both Jenova's impulse and the barrier vanished.

"Come on, Cloud!" Aerith helped him to his feet and the two of them began making their way back towards the platform at the center of the room.

Jenova growled in frustration at how both of her attacks had been so easily evaded. She took a few steps, making her way through the ruins, approaching the central platform. She suddenly felt a jolt of pain hit the back of her head. She brought one of her limbs up to rub the back of her scalp, the wound already feeling rather tender. She turned around and saw Reno standing there, his iron rod in his equipped and a coy grin on his face.

Reno flipped the switch on his iron rod, igniting a few electronic sparks from his item.

"Not so fast." Jenova fiercely replied. She extended out one of her limbs to grasp onto Reno's arm. She took hold of Reno's weapon and tossed it into the air, out of the ruins.

"Ahh..." Reno only had a brief moment to mourn the loss of his weapon because before he knew it, he felt the ground beneath his feet disappear, as Jenova's limbs lifted him up into the air. He tried to punch and kick at Jenova, but he could not inflict any damage on the monstrous being that held him captive. Reno struggled briefly, but knew that the more he fought against Jenova, the less chance of an escape he would have. Jenova lifted Reno over the ruin's ledge, just above the rushing waters below. She released her limbs, dropping Reno down through the ruins, landing into the water below.

"Reno!" Tifa called out to him, waiting for his reply. "Reno!" She called out again, but was only disheartened when no response was met by him. She clutched her fists together, looking up at Jenova, an angry glint in her eyes. "You'll pay!" Tifa lunged at Jenova, her fists flying forward. "Final Heaven!" While one of Tifa's punches connected with Jenova's face, the creature's extended her limb forward, catching Tifa off guard. When Tifa tried to fight back against Jenova, the creature simply laughed, before whipping Tifa into the air, sending her crashing into the debris at one side of the chamber.

Now with Tifa out of the way, she prowled back towards the outer rim of the chamber, drawing closer and closer towards Cloud and Aerith. She extended her limb forward, lifting the couple into the air and dropping them down onto the platform at the center of the room, surrounded by the cascading waterfall. Jenova menacingly walked across the ramp, leading down towards the center platform.

Cloud and Aerith rose to their feet, just in time to see Jenova emerge through the surface of the waterfall. The two of them took a few steps back, as Cloud instinctively held an arm out in front of Aerith, while his other hand held his sword pointed at Jenova, tracking her every move.

Aerith leaned closer, whispering. "Cloud..."

Cloud raised his voice, "You won't touch her unless you go through me!" He gripped onto his Buster Sword tighter.

Jenova smirked to herself, "So be it." She raised her limb up towards Cloud, gripping the soldier by the neck. Cloud instinctively raised his sword up towards the creature's head.

"NO!" Aerith ran forward, producing the White Materia in her grasps. She reared back before extending her arms forward, the materia glowing vibrantly. A green and white blast of energy emerged from the White Materia, completely wrapping around Jenova.

Whatever source was emerging from the White Materia, it stung Jenova's skin, almost as if it was like fire. Jenova let out a shriek of pain, as she felt her body submit to the pain. From within Aerith's own body, she felt a familiar wave pass through her, before bright green rays of energy shot from within her palms, completely surrounding Jenova and Cloud. The powers of the Lifestream and the White Materia mixed and melded into one, as Aerith tried to maintain the attack. She felt as though these powers were completely draining her of her energy, but she continued on.

The energy ricocheted off of Jenova's body and surged around Cloud, causing his body to twist and jolt from Aerith's melding powers. As soon as Aerith saw this, she instantly faltered. She was more than willing to use these powers to fight Jenova, but not if it meant harming Cloud. From what she saw, some remnants of the attack had started to take a toll on Cloud for the worst and this frightened her more than anything.

White particles surrounded the two of them, growing brighter and brighter. Jenova le out another cry of anguish, releasing Cloud from her grasps, dropping him to the floor. The entire area seemed to grow brighter and brighter, the ruins, the waterfall, everything before her growing into one great beam of light. Right before the light had completely blinded her, she could have sworn that she saw Jenova vanish. Then...

Brightness. White brightness.

The bright light started to fade and Aerith found herself in the familiar surroundings of the ruins. As soon as the White Materia's magic had concluded, Aerith fell to her knees, taking in deep gasps of breath. She felt as though she wouldn't even be able to get up after such a powerful attack.

She saw Cloud lying next to her on the platform and she couldn't help but smile. She leaned over to him and rolled him over so that he was lying in his back. She saw that his eyes were closed. 'He must have had it worse than I did.' She thought to herself with a small smile.

She brought her hands up and gently rubbed his cheek. She smiled down at the man that she loved. "Hey, wake up. It's all over now. We can go home."

Aerith smiled down at his peaceful figure, a small smile spread across his lips. "Cloud?"

He didn't respond. He rested in her lap, motionless.

"Cloud?" She nudged his body, urging him to move, but he remained still. Aerith's smile soon faded into a concerned frown, as her eyes widened. She lifted him up to rest on her lap, feeling the tears began to well up in her eyes and spill down her cheeks. She couldn't believe what was happening. Her sobs echoed across the chamber, as she gently tried to shake the man awake in her arms. It was no use. He did not awaken. She tightly gripped onto his shirt.

"Cloud!? Please wake up! Cloud!"


	16. Awakening

**Chapter 16 - Awakening**

Barret fended off one of the creatures that lunged forward towards him, knocking the being down to the ground before shooting it through the skull. Red and Vincent did not have the leisure of celebrating in Barret's victory when they were far too preoccupied in tracking down the other creatures that made their way towards them.

"Dammit! Enough is enough already!"

Then, from the back of the city, behind the wooded glade, a bright beam of light expanded towards the sky. Even from the distance, the white light was so bright that it seemed to illuminate the entire city. One by one, the viscous creatures collapsed onto the ground, as they had done before upon exiting the Sleeping Forest.

Barret placed an arm over his face, the white light blinding him and yet, was still fascinated to see the demise of the creatures. "Yo! What the hell's happening' now!?" Each of the creatures crumbled down to the floor, leaving nothing put piles of remains strewn about the pathways of the Forgotten City. Moments later, the bright light at the back of the city vanished and all had returned to normal.

The three glanced about the city. Everything had gone quiet, which would have been slightly unnerving had they not been in this lost city.

Red was the first to speak, questioning exactly what they were all thinking. "What was that?"

"It came from the back of the city." Vincent spoke, "That's where Aerith led the others. I think our mission is completed. For now."

Barret cheered, "Well then, what the hell are we doin' around here!? Let's check up on those fools and hope they didn't hurt themselves!"

Barret led the three up the pathway, rounding about the curved slope up behind the center of the city. They reached the cliffside at the back of the city and entered into the alcove, where the other members of their party awaited in the ruins.

"Cloud?! Please wake up for me! Cloud!" Aerith called out through her sobs, instantly alerted the others.

The three made their way down the cliff leading into the destroyed, ancient ruins. Red sprinted forward towards Aerith's side, examining the fallen soldier in her arms. "Aerith, what happened?!"

Yuffie emerged from the rubble of the ruins, rubbing her backside, still not recovered from Jenova's attack just yet. "Owwie...If I ever have to see Jenova again, I'm knocking her out and not making any apologies." It was then when she noticed Aerith and Cloud at the center of the platform. "Oh no!"

Tifa kicked over one of the large boulders that she had fallen behind, tipping the stone over with ease. She raised a hand to her forehead, feeling a slight stinging pain. 'You're stronger than this.' The blow that Jenova had dealt her had caused her a great deal of pain, one that she hadn't felt in some time. She looked down only to notice the bruises that had covered her arms.

"Tifa! Are you alright?" Barret rushed over to his close companion and pulled her up against him, examining her closely.

"I'm fine! I'm fine, but Reno, he..." She pointed down into the lagoon that was beneath the platform. Reno's body was just floating along the surface, but he wasn't quite drowning.

Vincent swooped down into the waters in a flash, picking up Reno and bringing him onto dry land. The red-head was drenched, his red hair loosely scattered across his face.

Tifa rushed to his side. "Reno! Reno, are you okay!?" She gently pushed the hair away from his face, but she did not receive a response from him. He remained their motionless. When Tifa had pulled her hands back from pushing his hair away from his face, she noticed the dark-crimson liquid that had collected in her hand. She noticed the thick trail of blood that trickled down the side of his head.

Tifa gasped, "No. Is...is he...?"

Vincent shook his head, "No. He's still breathing. He must have hit something down there. He'll need to be closely watched to ensure he makes a full recovery."

Tifa nodded and turned back to the man in her arms. She raised her hand to clean away the blood from his face. She rested her head on his chest, feeling it rise with each steady breath he took in. She gave a relieved sigh. "Reno..."

Back on the platform at the center of the room, the others had gathered around Aerith who sobbed, begging for her fallen lover to awaken. It all felt like some cruel twisted dream that none of them could awaken from. Yet, in this very city, their friends had witnesses the same scene happen between the two lovers. Aerith now understood exactly what Cloud must have gone through when he had seen her die once before. It was unbearable. It felt like her heart was being ripped from her body and crushed.

Barret took hold of Aerith's shoulders. "Aerith, what happened?"

She spoke out through her sobs, "We were fighting Jenova. She was going to kill him. I used the power of the White Materia to stop her...and she...she disappeared, but...the materia's power...jolted from Jenova's body and got to Cloud."

Red examined Cloud's body. "Aerith, the power from the White Materia, isn't that what was supposed to kill you after defeating Jenova? Wasn't that your price to pay in order to defeat her? What if Cloud paid it instead and spared you?"

Aerith shook her head and wrapped her arms tightly around Cloud's body. "No..."

Red continued, "What if that's what he wanted? He'd do anything to make sure you were safe."

Aerith wiped the tears from her face and looked down at Cloud's peaceful form. 'Why would he do something as stupid as that?' She brought his body up to hers and cried into his chest. "Cloud, please, what are we supposed to do now?" She deeply exhaled into him, continuing to sob. She was unwilling to accept this fate. The two of them, they were always supposed to find some way to overcome anything, even death.

Yuffie leaned down next to her friend and wrapped her arms around her, "Aer..."

Red spoke out, he's words coming abruptly. "I'm not convinced he's dead."

Everyone turned to face him, looks of confusion on each of them. "What?"

Red continued, "Aerith, even the powers of the White Materia are a mystery to you, an ancient. There was once a time when you thought the White Materia had no purpose. We still don't have all the answers, either."

Aerith shook her head, wiping her tears. "What are you saying?"

Red bowed his head. "Talk to the Ancients here, where it's clearest. You're the only one who can. Maybe they have the answers, maybe there's still hope for Cloud."

Aerith nodded, "Alright. I'll try." She bowed her head and closed her eyes, concentrating deeply on an energy that was building within her. Slowly, she felt the world around her began to fade away. Cloud, her friends, the ruins, the waterfall, everything around her faded to blackness, as a void of voices began to fill her head.

"Aerith..."

Aerith's eyes remained closed, but she knew the voice instantly. "Mom..."

"Dear, I'm so proud of you. You've been so strong through all of this, just as you always have been."

"Mom, please tell me, has Cloud become a part of the Lifestream?"

"No, Aerith. Cloud's consciousness is trapped within his own body."

"What do you mean?"

"When the White Materia was activated, its' powers latched onto Cloud just as Jenova had tried to kill him, rendering his body dormant, as if he was asleep. His soul, his spirit still lives on inside of his body and will not return to the Lifestream. You have to be the one to awaken him."

Aerith questioned, "And how do I do that?"

"You have all of the tools to your advantage, dear. From the Lifestream, you had once lived on inside of Cloud, through his conscience, had you not? He was able to talk, touch and see you again. You must travel back into Cloud's conscience to awaken him."

"You make it sound so easy. I wouldn't even know where to begin."

Her mother chastised, "Oh, Aerith, did you not listen to the wise Bugenhagen's words. The Lifestream lives on inside of you. With that power, you will be able to save Cloud. Bugenhagen says 'thank you', by the way. That old coot, he's such a riot! He certainly knows how to keep things lively here in the Lifestream!"

Aerith felt her lips curve upwards, "There's still hope then."

"There always is, dear. You must enter into a deep sleep in order to use your powers to travel into Cloud's conscience. The forests on the outskirts of this village should provide the perfect slumber for the two of you to awaken. You can bring him back, Aerith."

"Mom, why didn't I die like the Cetra said I was supposed to? Did...did you know this would happen?"

"Yes Aerith, I did. I knew that something was to interfere with the power of the White Materia from killing you, I just didn't know that this very thing would have been Cloud. That's why I was so willing to let you leave in the first place. I would never let my daughter go through the pain of having to die for the entire world a second time. I knew that you'd be able to live a normal life one day. This was your best chance."

Aerith smiled, "Thank you, mom."

"I knew that our Cetra lineage would continue on once the White Materia was within your grasps again. I would be overjoyed to be a grandmother! Plus, Cloud's certainly one handsome man. Good for you, Aerith, I approve!"

Now, she felt like her mom was just playfully picking at her on purpose. She felt herself blush, "Mom!"

"Oh Aerith, don't pretend you haven't thought the same! I couldn't be more happier for the two of you. You two are perfect for one another. You know what you must do. Now go, Aerith. You must fix this before it is too late. Find him and save him!"

"Thank you, mom. I will."

"You've made me so proud, Aerith..."

"Aerith..."

"Aerith!" Barret called out.

She snapped out of her trance and looked around at the friends surrounding her. Although the conversation with her mother seemed long to her, to her friends, only a few seconds had passed.

"Did it work?" Red questioned.

A wide smile spread across her face, as she looked at each of her friends. "Yes. So, here's the plan."

* * *

Aerith led the way up the pathway out of the Forgotten Capitol, leading back up the trail towards the Sleeping Forest. Her friends followed behind her, questioning her motive every step of the way. They had just barely escaped this treacherous forest a little while ago and yet, Aerith was still so determined to return, no matter what dangers they might face.

"You really goin' back in there? You got more guts than the rest of us." Barret questioning, holding Cloud's limp body over his shoulder.

Aerith looked over at Barret and smiled. "If it mean saving Cloud's life, I'd do just about anything."

Barret smirked, "Well, if we do get him back, just promise you don't knock his spiky ass out for always doin' stupid shit like this."

Aerith muttered, "No promises there."

They had almost reached the outskirts of the forest, leading up towards the small cliffs which overlooked the Forgotten Capitol. The tall trees that made up the vast Sleeping Forest were just before them now.

Barret leaned towards Vincent, who had Reno's body slung over his shoulder. "What you think about all this, Vince?"

Vincent remained silent and averted his gaze, but Barret was used to this typical response. He looked over his other shoulder and whispered towards Tifa. "What about you?"

Tifa rubbed her chin and thought for a moment, closing her eyes. She was honestly just as perplexed as her other friends. "I really don't know what to think. I want to believe what Aerith says is true...and I want to think that she'll be able to do this, but..."

"It seems like a long shot." Barret concluded.

Tifa sighed and nodded. Just as she had always done in situations like this, she would always expect the bad outcome of things before she could ever think of the good. She knew this, too, and that upset her. She knew that this way of thinking wasn't healthy, nor did it provide any sort of logical resolution to make their situation better. Maybe it was time to start looking for the good instead of the bad.

Tifa concluded, "Well, if there's one thing I'm sure of, it's that Cloud and Aerith always find their way back to one another, somehow."

Barret sighed, "I just hope your right."

Tifa lowered her head and whispered, "Me too."

Yuffie followed closely behind her. "So, you're saying that we take you and Cloud into the Sleeping Forest, where you can fall into a deep sleep, so that you'll somehow use the powers of the Lifestream to enter into Cloud's conscience, where you'll find him somewhere and you'll then be able to wake him up and everything will be alright again...or something like that?"

Aerith turned to Yuffie, surprised that her friend managed to say all of that in one breath. "Yep. That's what my mother told me. If I follow my instincts, I hope that it's as easy as it sounds."

Yuffie stopped just on the edge of the forest, "Just make sure you bring him back in one piece, ok?"

Aerith nodded, "Will do." She turned back to Tifa, Red and Vincent, giving them a small smile, before facing the forest again. "If anything gets bad in here, don't hesitate in waking me up." She entered into the forest, followed by Barret.

The woods were tranquil and peaceful, unlike what they had seen from this forest before. It was serene and beautiful; the perfect location for one to take a long, un-interrupted nap. Aerith just hoped that the forest would maintain its' peaceful disposition while she and Cloud remained asleep within the canopies of its' branches.

Aerith and Barret walked a few steps further into the woods, before the burly man turned towards a large oak tree. He carefully took Cloud off of his shoulder and propped him up against the tree's large trunk. Cloud's body remained still, his head hanging forward, facing down. If one had not become aware of their situation, anyone would have assumed that Cloud was dead.

Barret turned to Aerith and pulled the woman into a tight hug. "Get Spike back for us, alright?"

Aerith wrapped her arms around his large frame and smiled up at him. "I will."

When Barret had seen the profound determination in Aerith's eyes, he knew that if anyone had the capability of saving Cloud, it would be her. "We'll see you when you wake up." Barret turned from her and headed back in the direction that they came, returning to their friends waiting on the outskirts of the forest.

Aerith turned to Cloud's body and kneeled down into the soft grass next to the large oak tree. She brought her hands up to Cloud's face, gently cupping his chin, resting his head backwards against the tree. She brushed a few of his golden bangs away from his face, clearing them from his eyes. At that moment, she thought that all that she wanted to see again were those blue make-infused eyes that she found to be so strong, intoxicating and beautiful.

She gently cupped his cheeks in both of her hands and leaned towards him, just so their noses were just barely touching one another. Even though she was certain that he could not hear her, she spoke firmly. "Cloud, don't you ever do something as stupid as this ever again or so help me." She wasn't mad at Cloud. No, rather it was the incredible amount of love that she had for him that made her so upset that he would get himself into this situation.

She raised her lips up to his forehead and gently kissed him, her hands lowering down from his cheeks, resting on his broad shoulders. She pulled back and smiled down at him.

She quietly took a seat next to Cloud and rested against the bark of the tree trunk. While the wood bark may not have been the most comfortable thing to rest on, it didn't matter to Aerith either way. She rested her head on Cloud's shoulder and held his hand in her own, lacing their fingers together. She rubbed her fingers soothingly up and down his arm, as she let out a small yawn.

She took in the beautiful wooden glade, the serene calm of nothing but a few birds chirping from the trees, the gentle breeze that swept in-between the trees. She felt her eyelids grow heavy, struggling to remain awake any further. "It...really is...peaceful."

She snuggled closer into Cloud, before her eyelids closed and she fell into a deep sleep.

* * *

Aerith slowly opened her eyes, awakening in the same spot where she had fallen asleep. Her head felt heavy. It felt as though she could have been asleep for more than a day and yet, she didn't necessarily feel tired or well rested. When she had looked down, she noticed that her body was transparent, clear enough to see the tree bark directly through it.

"What?"

She was still a solid figure, but she was not completely whole. She took a look around and noticed the unusual, new qualities that had taken over the forest. The entire wooded area seemed to glow in a dark green hue. The woods seemed to be dazing, as if the Sleeping Forest was locked within a hazy, hypnotic abyss.

'I must have made it over into his conscience...'

When she looked over to the other side of her, she noticed that the sleeping soldier had gone missing. This alerted her, instantly causing her to spring to her feet. She called out to him, her words echoing out through the forest.

"Cloud! Cloud, where are you!?" She looked around the tree and the surrounding patches of grass, but could not find any trace of him. 'He has to be around here, somewhere. I have to find him.'

She set down the main forest trail, leading through the central section of the forest. The entire area seemed to daze and perplex her, almost as if she was walking in the middle of the illusion. The further she walked along the trail, the longer the forest seemed to stretch, creating a confusing maze that led her in-between and around the tall trees of the Sleeping Forest. It felt as if she was walking through the middle of someone else's dream, where the logic and events were solely up to the dreamer. This world was mysterious and foreign to her. Who knows what could happen in the mind of someone else?

"Cloud!" She called out again, but did not receive any answer. It felt strange to her, being a part of his conscience again. 'I've never entered from the living world before, I've always done it from the Lifestream." She took another glance around. This had all felt remarkably similar to the dream that Cloud had once had of Aerith heading towards the city, running through this exact forest.

She ran further through the forest, carefully walking over the grown tree roots that were scattered along the forest ground. She bolted through the trees, looking for the familiar soldier, but found no trace of him. There was a sense of urgency within her. The sooner the two of them made it out of this forest, altogether, the better. At the rate that her search was going, it seemed that it would take days just to track down Cloud.

She thought to herself, 'What if I wake up before I even find him? Then what?' It was a sudden question that suddenly dawned on her, yielding no answers. Surely, she would have to awaken in the real Sleeping Forest eventually, but what was to happen in Cloud's conscience and to him? She didn't need to know. Rather, she wanted to find Cloud and make it back to the other side before she was to ever find out what could happen.

From further down in the forest, she spotted a yellow spike from behind one of the trees.

"Cloud!"

When she called out his name, the man poked out his head and saw her for the first time. "Aerith! What are you doing here?" He moved out from behind the tree and ran towards her, both excited and confused as to why she was here and whether or not she was real to begin with. It felt like he had been walking through the forest on his lonesome for days now, never finding a way out of this illusionary forest.

When he ran up to meet her, he brought his arms up around her, only to realize that he passed directly through her. "Aerith, what's...?"

Aerith stepped back and explained, "Cloud, I entered into your conscience to save you."

"What?" He questioned.

"Our bodies are both asleep back in the Sleeping Forest, the real forest." She glanced around at the unusual, hazy forest that surrounded them. "This must be some made up, illusionary world that your conscience has created. It's not real."

He lowered his head, "Aerith, I'm sorry. You shouldn't have had to go through this."

She pulled back from him and looked at him directly in the eyes, letting him see just how serious she was at the moment. "I don't want an apology, Cloud. I want an explanation."

He paused, "What?"

She exhaled and let out a deep sigh. Her eyes watered and when she spoke, she felt her voice shake. "Why? Why would you try and take the blow from the White Materia's powers? You could have been killed, do you know that?! Why would you do that?"

"I wanted to save you." He calmly replied. "Are you angry?"

"Yes, Cloud!" She gasped, "Why would you willingly put yourself in harm's way, whether it was Jenova or the materia, why would you do that?! That was stupid, Cloud! That was so stupid! You have no idea how scared you made me!" She brought her fists and rested them on his strong chest, only to have her hands pass right through him, causing her to nearly stumble to the ground. "Ugh! If you would have just listened to me, you wouldn't be in this situation now!"

Cloud quickly countered, "Whoa, whoa, hold on! YOU'RE not listening me now, either! Why is it okay for you to always put yourself in danger but the second I do, it becomes a problem?!" His voice rose and the moment it had, he instantly regretted it. He did not want an argument right now, especially not with her.

Aerith remained silent and looked him directly in the eyes. Cloud could tell just how angry she was. More than anything, Aerith felt frustrated with herself; she knew Cloud was right. She repeatedly put herself into dangerous situations and every time she had done so, Cloud would always be there for her, no matter what. Now, when the tables had been turned and Cloud put himself in danger's way, she was mad at him? She knew it wasn't right. She was mad at the situation, not at him.

He tried to get her to look at him, although she averted his gaze from him, staring into the forest beyond him. "Aerith, please look at me."

He brought his face down to be level with hers, staring directly into her emerald orbs. "Aerith..."

His eyes seemed to stare directly through her, as if sensing everything that was running through her mind. When she stared into his beautiful eyes, she realized how easy it was for her to just give in and willingly accept his explanation and move on. Though, that didn't make her frustration wane. 'I can't be mad at him forever, especially when he's looking at me like that. Though, I won't let him out of this so easily', she thought to herself.

His voice lowered, now calm and soft. He wanted her to know that his intentions were good, even if they angered her. "Please Aerith, talk to me..."

A sudden voice appeared from within the forest. The voice was dark and deep, cutting through the thick woods, unexpected. "Should I be concerned that there's trouble in paradise?"

The two were caught by surprise and separated, looking in the direction that the voice had come from. There, the two saw the dark-clad man appear from within the dark wooded, glade, carrying his large, slender masamune in his black, gloved hand.

Cloud's eyes widened, as he instantly stepped out in front of Aerith, shielding her from the man. "Sephiroth!"

Sephiroth's dark boots crunched against the fallen leaves and sticks that cluttered the forest ground, approaching the couple, a small grin across his face. He tossed a strand of his long, white hair behind his back. "It's good to see you again, Cloud." He looked down at Aerith. "Cetra..."

Aerith stared at the man, not saying a single word to the man. It felt unreal to her to have so much disdain for one person, Sephiroth, Jenova, Shinra, they had caused her a life's worth of problems.

Sephiroth took a few steps closer to his former comrade, "It seems the mako infusion in your body is still treating you well, Cloud."

"Shut up!" Cloud demanded, "What are you doing here, Sephiroth!?"

The ex-general looked around the forest, speaking out loud. "This forest was created from the deep recesses of your mind, Cloud. It's how I am able to exist here at all."

Cloud glared at the man, "You're nothing but a memory!"

Sephiroth laughed, "Cloud, I've told you, I will never be a memory. Deep in the channels of your mind, I can exist here forever."

Aerith tried to get Cloud to listen to her, "Cloud, don't listen to him."

"Quiet, Cetra." Sephiroth demanded. "I will always be a part of you, Cloud. You will never be able to be rid of me. I've become a part of you, forever."

Aerith pleaded to Cloud, "Cloud, he's wrong! He's just trying to get into your head."

Cloud gritted through his teeth, feeling as though the two voices were splitting him apart. He felt an extreme pain in his head, the voices becoming overwhelming.

Sephiroth stepped towards Aerith, but stopped when Cloud extended out his hand in front of her. "Oh, how charming. So, this is the face of true love." He smirked, "Cetra, why must you continuously intercept my and my dear mother's plans? How many times must we be rid of you?"

"Apparently, a few more." She quickly countered.

Sephiroth advanced towards the young woman, gripping the handle of his sword tighter. "So beautiful, so determined, but so useless. I'm certainly going to enjoy taking you away from Cloud yet again, Cetra."

Cloud growled out, "You'll never! Lay a finger on her and it'll be the last move you make!

The ex-general laughed at Cloud as if he was like an immature child, chuckling at him darkly. "Oh Cloud, whoever said anything about harming her? On the contrary, she's my connection to getting to you. I wouldn't waste a valuable game piece like her."

The idea of Sephiroth thinking of Aerith as nothing more than just a piece in his own game set Cloud off. Cloud felt overwhelmed with the amount of hatred that he had in his heart for this man."Then, what do you want?!" Cloud demanded, yelling out towards the ex-general.

"To destroy you." Sephiroth raised his masamune high into the air, before plunging it deep down into the dark soil of the forest ground. A strong rumble was heard from deep within the earth. The rumbling grew louder and more intense, the trees began to shake, as loose leaves fell down to the ground. Several strong quakes blasted through the forest, sending Cloud and Aerith to their knees.

Sephiroth lifted his sword up from the ground and looked up at Cloud with a small smile on his face. The small mark that Sephiroth had made in the ground with his sword began to crack and splinter open, as if the ground was made out of glass. The cracks began to expand, breaking off the ground of the forest, causing Cloud and Aerith to slowly take steps back. With each crack that was made, a small impulse of white light shot forward, blinding the two. The cracks that were made in the floor broke off from the ground and fell deep into the chasm of white light that stood before them.

When he felt the ground beneath his feet begin to crack and give way, Sephiroth looked up at Cloud one last time with a small smile on his face. "This isn't finished, Cloud." The ground beneath his feet cracked open, as the ex-general descended down into the white abyss below.

Aerith turned back to Cloud, "Come on, we have to go! I have to get you back!"

Cloud and Aerith turned around and started running their way through the forest, hearing the ground break away behind them. The cracks begin to surround them, as pieces of the trees, the boulders surrounding the perimeter of the forest, the sky, they all began to crack like a shattering glass, splintering off pieces of the broken remnants into the white abyss behind them. It felt as if the world around them was shattering, fading into the white abyss behind them, as if the world was being erased.

Directly ahead of the two, at the edge of the forest, they could make out a blooming, white light which protruded forward from where the Forgotten City was supposed to be. The light was bright and illuminating, but beautiful and beckoned them to adventure further onwards.

"There!" Aerith called out, pointing towards the light ahead of them. She ran towards to white light, quickly followed behind by Cloud. Aerith looked down, noticing that her transparent body was starting to strengthen, looking whole again. She began to feel more solid. "I...I think I'm... I'm waking up."

Cloud didn't have time to respond. He was far too concerned with the ground that was fading away behind him. He quickened his pace, running faster towards the abyss ahead of them. He grasped Aerith's hand in his own when he was finally able to and made sure that she kept up with the same pace as him. 'Just a little bit further.'

They were just on the edge of the forest when Cloud felt the world beneath his feet give way, falling down towards the white light. Cloud caught himself on the edge of the broken forest ground, half his body completely engulfed in the white light. The light grew brighter and brighter, as more of the land began to break away.

"Cloud!" Aerith turned around and leant over the edge, extending her hand down towards him. She was far enough over the edge that she was practically about to fall over into the white abyss herself.

Cloud looked up and saw Aerith above him. She was surrounded by the bright light which projected rays around her figure, almost as if she was appearing from within the brightness. Her hand reached down towards him.

"Cloud! I won't leave without you!" She called out.

Cloud felt the ledge he was holding onto crack and rumble, slowly beginning to break off. He reached up and grasped Aerith's hand in her own. The ledge that Cloud has been holding onto crumbled away, causing the ground beneath Aerith's feet to shatter and break away. She let out a startled cry, as she and Cloud both fell into the white abyss below them. They were surrounded by the light, growing brighter and brighter. In the midst of the fall, she felt her hands link with Cloud and a sudden impulse shot around the two of them.

All of a sudden Aerith jolted forward and awakened in the Sleeping Forest, her eyes wide with fear. Her breath came harsh and fast, as fear still overtook her. It took her a moment to realize that she was awake in the first place; the scenarios of being in Cloud's conscience still played through her mind.

She looked over to her side and saw Cloud sleeping peacefully next to her. She hoped that whatever she had done in Cloud's conscience had set things right and that he would somehow be able to awaken again. Although she had her doubts, it was worth a try, even if it meant having to face the dangers of traveling back through his mind. She gently brought her hand up to his cheek, rubbing his soft, warm skin lightly.

After a moment, Cloud lazily opened one eye and let out a small groan. "Aerith...? You found me." He didn't stay awake for long. A second later, he closed his eyes again and leaned back against the tree that his body rested against.

Aerith gave a small sigh of relief. She brought her hand up to Cloud's spiky golden locks, running her hands through the long strands of hair, smiling as she did so. "We did it."

* * *

Once Aerith had alerted her friends about what happened, they made their way back towards the Bone Village, where Cid and Shera had waited for them. The journey back to the ship was short and easy, which the team was especially thankful for considering Cloud and Reno were both unresponsive.

The team made their way up towards the deck of the Highwind, where Barret opened the door latch and entered into the Maintenance Bay. As soon as they were inside, they could hear the cries of Cid and Shera's baby from the cockpit. "Ah, there's the sound we all missed so much! It's good to be back!"

They all made their way to the cockpit, where Cid spun around from the pilot's chair to greet them. "Ah, you're back! Good to see y'all are in good shape!" He then noticed Cloud and Reno lying on the floor. "Eh, what the hell happened to those two?"

Red explained, "Cloud's just asleep. He'll need his rest."

"And Reno? He looks a bit beat up." Cid questioned.

Tifa nodded, "He was. He hurt himself pretty badly. He's been knocked out since we were all the way back in the city. He'll need his time to recover."

Cid grunted, "Take 'em to the cabin. At least give em' a decent place to get some shut eye. What about Jenova?"

"She's gone. We hope for good this time." Aerith confirmed. "Things didn't exactly go as planned in the city..."

"...but when do they ever go as planned?" Yuffie concluded.

Cid raised an eyebrow, "So...mission accomplished?"

Aerith smiled and nodded, "Mission accomplished."

Cid cheered, "Woo! Then, I guess we'll be headin' back to Edge then. It's been one hell of an adventure!"

Tifa sighed and smiled, "I can't believe it's over. It feels like it's gone by so quickly, but in some ways, it feels like I haven't been at the Seventh Heaven in forever!"

Yuffie nodded, "I'm gonna miss it. The adventures, the stupid bad guys, almost getting killed all the time but not quite."

Red interrupted them, "Just because this adventure is over, that doesn't mean we all won't go on another one again."

"Red's right, you know." Aerith continued, "I'm sure there'll be more adventures for all of us up ahead. I think we can all use a break from this for awhile though, right? Going home sounds really nice right about now." She let out a playful laugh.

Barret nodded exuberantly, "I can't wait to get back home and see Marlene! I hope she hasn't forgotten about me."

Tifa rubbed his arm, "Barret, don't be silly. You're her father. She would never forget about you."

Aerith sighed, "I can't wait to see everyone and get back home. I can't remember the last time it felt like I lived a regular life. Everything's about to change from here on out, isn't it?"

Tifa nodded, "Yeah."

Barret concluded with a big smile, "But don't worry, we'll be there for one another every step of the way. We're a family, after all."

Cid then announced over the intercom, "Alright, kiddos! Next stop: our return to Edge! It's been a nice trip, but it's about damn time y'all get back to where y'all belong! Hold on tight!"

The Highwind ascended from the base of the Bone Village and took off from the northern continent, blasting off through the sky.

* * *

Cloud awoke in his cabin on the airship to the steady hum of the engines churning deep within the ship. He turned over to his side and saw Reno out cold on the bed across the cabin. A bandage was wrapped around his head.

'He must have got it pretty bad, too.'

He got up to his feet and made his way out of the cabin. He could only assume that everything had gone fine and that their mission was successful. He knew that the first thing that he should do before anything else was talk to Aerith. He knew how angry she had been when they had adventured through his conscience together. He hated the way things had went earlier between them and if he could do anything to make things right between them, he was going to do just that. 'Where is she?'

Cloud made his way through the Maintenance Bay and walked up towards the cockpit. Once inside, he saw that everyone was there, including Aerith. When he gave a small smile at Aerith, she only stared at him, her emotionless expression not changing.

"Hey Spike, didja get your ass handed to you or what?" Barret chimed in.

Tifa questioned, "Are you feeling better?"

"Why would you do something as stupid as what you did? You know how nervous you made us!?" Yuffie chastised.

"Whoa whoa whoa, guys, come on. Easy on the questions." Cloud tried to calm them down, before scratching the back of his head. "Is everyone alright? Was the mission successful?"

Vincent gave a quiet nod, before Red decided to answer for him anyway. "Yes, we're all fine and Jenova is gone. We're headed back to Edge now. With Cid's directions, we should be there shortly."

From the cockpit, Cid gave a small thumbs up to them.

"Well, I guess everything worked out for the best. No harm done, right guys?" Cloud gave a sheepish grin and nervously laughed in Aerith's direction, as if that would somehow ease the situation.

Aerith hadn't said a word. She turned from the group and made her way out of the cockpit.

Cloud's grin faded once she had left and brought on of his hands up to cover his face. He let out a frustrated sigh. 'Damn, I really %&#$ # up this time.'

Barret noticed the expression on Cloud's face and approached the blonde-haired man, "You alright?"

His reply was low and muttered. "Yeah."

Barret continued, "You sure?"

Cloud sighed, "No. I did something really stupid. She's really upset with me."

"Ah, yeah. She was pretty damn pissed after everything happened in the city."

"She was?" Cloud questioned.

"Well duh, Cloud! What the hell?!" Barret forcefully whispered over to him. "After she died, how did you feel?"

Cloud couldn't even put what he felt to words. Aerith being taken away from him was the worst feeling that he had ever felt. It felt awful.

Barret concluded, "That's exactly what she was feeling when we left the city. I'd be upset, too."

"I know. I feel terrible." Cloud lowered his head.

"Hey." Barret placed his hand on Cloud's shoulder. "Go and talk to her. You're a good guy, Cloud. We see that and she definitely sees it, too. Don't sweat all this small stuff. Life's way too damn short for all this dramatic crap. Talk to her, Cloud. She'll get over it. She'll understand."

Cloud nodded. He knew that Barret was right. It was moments like this that always surprised Cloud; moments that continuously proved how good of a guy Barret was. Deep down inside of his burly frame, there was a lovable, wise man that spoke from the heart. Years ago, Cloud never even thought that this side of Barret existed.

"Thanks, Barret."

Barret chuckled, "Yeah, and I already told her to go easy on you, so hopefully you won't be knocked back out!"

"Wish me luck."

Cloud exited the cockpit and followed back into the main center of the Highwind, searching for Aerith. After searching through the Cabin, the Meeting Room and the Deck, without spotting any sign of the young flower maiden, he heard a small noise come from the Cargo Hold beneath the ship. He descended down the stairs leading into the storage unit of the ship. Once inside, he saw Aerith pushing a small wooden crate towards another larger pile of crates.

"Hey." He spoke up nervously, his voice shaking slightly, letting his nerves get the better of him. "What are you doing down here?"

His voice startled her, causing her to raise a hand up to her heart. She turned to watch him descend down the steps. "I was looking for something to occupy my time with." In all honesty, she was also looking for a place that no one would look to find her, specifically Cloud. She wanted time to be alone with her thoughts right now. 'Figures he'd be the one to find me down here.'

Cloud glanced around the storage room. "And you decided to re-arrange all of the useless junk in this room?" He raised an eyebrow at her.

She turned around to him, "It seemed like a good idea at the time."

She turned back to doing her small, pre-occupied chores around the room. She felt her heart beat increase, as she noticed him continuing to stare at her. 'Too late to hide now, I guess...' She knew that Cloud wasn't going to allow her to leave without saying a few choice words with her. They hadn't exactly left things off on good terms back in the Sleeping Forest.

Cloud tried to say something else, but a long silence passed between the two. He kept his eyes fixated on her the entire time, watching her through the room. Every time he would make eye contact with her, she would almost immediately avert her gaze. 'Damn, she's really pissed.'

Aerith continued her chores around the room, looking up for brief moment, making eye contact with Cloud. She looked away almost instantly. 'He looks so sad.' She felt a pain in her heart when she saw how upset he looked. It made her feel disappointed and responsible. It didn't take Aerith long for her to start feeling regretful of the way she had been acting, but Cloud had NO idea how worried and concerned he had made her.

Cloud approached her slowly, his voice unsure. "I'm sorry for doing what I did, Aerith. I know it sounds selfish, but I didn't want to lose you." He lowered his head, "I don't want to fight with you like this anymore. I would never want to hurt you." He waited for a response, but still she didn't answer. He scratched the back of his head, wanting her to say something, but still the words wouldn't come.

He'd been hurt and neglected his whole life that he already expected it to happen yet again right now.

"I'm sorry, Aerith. I hope you can forgive me...some day." He turned his back to her and started to walk away, upset that she hadn't responded to him.

As soon as she spotted him walking away, Aerith felt her opportunity begin to slip away and was not willing to let that happen again. She ran forward and caught his hand in her own, turning him to face her, before pressing her lips up to his in a slow, chaste kiss.

Cloud's eyes widened at first when he was caught by surprise by her, but his eyelids soon shut, savoring the moment of their kiss. He wasn't exactly expecting a kiss after everything that had happened, but who was he to complain about it?

She pulled away from the kiss and rested her head on his shoulder, breathing warmly into his neck. She whispered into him, "You have no idea how much you scared me. I thought I lost you, Cloud."

Cloud brought his hands down to her slender waist and squeezed her gently. He placed his head down on top of hers and let his hands roam up and down her back. They stayed like that for a while. "I know. I'm so sorry, Aerith. I...I thought I was doing the right thing. I hoped you'd understand."

She complied by wrapping her arms around his waist and pressing his body up against hers, warmly embracing him. "I do, Cloud. I forgive you. Everything just happened so quickly and I was angry about a lot of things. I would never want to hurt you, too." She lightly smiled up at him, "I love you."

Cloud responded by kissing Aerith again, gently pressing his warm lips against her soft, pink ones. Their lips perfectly closed and opened over one another, deepening the kiss with each passing second. Cloud held onto her hip in one of his hands, while his other was raised to gently run through her long hair, to the back of her neck, where he guided her movements to match his, their kiss in perfect unison.

Aerith moaned into the kiss, pressing her chest up against his. She lightly ran her delicate finger tips up and down Cloud's strong arms, enjoying the shudder of pleasure that she had received from him. She had so many feelings for him that had just continuously kept building since the moment they had met so many years ago and now, they were overpouring from her. Everything felt perfect.

Cloud felt the same. After the adventure that they had just had, he didn't mind salvaging this moment and making the absolute most out of it. After everything that had happened between the two of them, they wanted to seize this moment; they wanted to express all of their feelings that had been building inside.

This was exactly what they had both wanted. Everything had led to this moment between the two of them. Everything had led them back to each other. They had both fallen so in love with one another and this was their moment of expressing that affection for one another.

As their kiss continued, Aerith wrapped her hands around Cloud's neck, gently caressing him.

"Cloud..." She softly moaned out his name, planting small kisses down the nape of his neck.

Cloud lifted Aerith up into his arms, her legs wrapping around his waist, never breaking their kiss once. Cloud had set her down on a nearby crate, where he then continued to push his body up against hers, pinning her inbetween him and the wall.

With her legs wrapped around him, she roughly pulled his neck down towards her, leading his lips to push more forcefully against hers, in a passionate, fiery kiss. His mouth moved rhythmically against hers, as he brought his hands down her sides, exploring her body before they rested on her hips. His hands roamed to feel the curves of her body, never parting his lips from her once.

He let out a low groan when he broke apart from the kiss when taking a breath of air was necessary. "Aerith..." His voice was low and husky, filled with both love and anticipation. He brought his hand up to stroke through her hair.

She placed another small peck on his lips before she had snaked her arms down to his chest, where she playfully fidgeted with the zipper at the front of his vest. She slowly unzipped the vest and pushed the fabric down his broad shoulders, revealing his toned chest and stomach. The vest dropped to the ground. Aerith took a moment to marvel at Cloud's body hovering above her before she pressed her lips more firmly against Cloud's. Her hands traveled up his strong shoulders until they rested on his chest, enjoying the feeling of his warm body on her fingertips.

Cloud decided to get even with her and brought his lips down to her neck, kissing and caressing her soft, smooth skin. His hands held firmly onto her hips as he continued his sweet torture on her, enjoying every reaction that he received from her. His hips involuntarily bucked forward He brought his lips back up to meet hers, parted them and slipped his tongue into her mouth.

Aerith moaned into the kiss, her tongue brushing up to meet his in a desired kiss that seemed to spread a fire through her veins. Their tongues danced and moved against one another, enjoying the taste and feeling of one another. She brought her hands down to trail up and down his strong chest and stomach, outlining each of his defined muscles on her fingertips. She brought her soft lips down to place a warm kiss in-between his pectoral muscles.

Cloud gently pressed down on her shoulders, bringing her down onto her back, his body hovering over hers. Her hair laid loosely around her, her brunette locks contrasting against her milky, soft skin. In one swift motion, Cloud brought his hands up to her jacket and pulled the fabric over her shoulders. His mouth trailed down to the new skin, which he had just revealed, planting small kisses along her neck and shoulders.

He brought his lips up to her neck, kissing a sensitive spot that he had found. He breathed huskily into her neck, his warm breath tickling her skin. "Aerith."

She groaned from his ministrations, throwing her head back from the pure satisfaction of it all. She brought her lips back up to his, their tongues sensually playing against one another.

Cloud slowly brought his hands up from her hips, traveling up towards her stomach, until they stopped at the button just at the top of her dress. He looked up at her, his eyes filled with inhibition, desire and love. It was so easy for him to just enjoy this moment and see where it took him, but a voice in the back of his head kept on reminding him that he wanted to do what she wanted, not what his body was telling him.

Aerith gave him a nod to him and rested her hands on his hips.

He reached up and undid the first button at the top of her dress, planting a small kiss on the flesh that was revealed just above her cleavage.

She groaned his name at the soft sensation of his lips against her skin.

Cloud undid a few more buttons of her dress, kissing his way from her neck, down her chest and onto her stomach, leaving a trail of fiery kisses down her body. His hands firmly grasped onto her waist, squeezing her tightly in his large hands, as her own hands weaved through his blonde hair.

He continued planting kisses up and down her stomach, until he raised his head up just above her breasts. He leant down and kissed the cleavage that was revealed to him. He gave a small smirk as he looked down at the light bra which rounded her figure perfectly, before looking back up at her, his eyes filled with questioning affirmation and love.

This is what they had both wanted. They had shared so much love and desire for one another, making this moment of their feel absolutely irreplaceable.

Everything felt so incredibly right. It was perfect.

Aerith gently played with his blonde locks, soothing any inhibitions that he had on whether or not they should go further. It became too easy for the two of them to get swept away in the moment.

Cloud pulled back from her, "...I-I'm sorry."

Aerith looked up at him and brushed one of her hands through his hair, "What's wrong?"

Cloud shook his head, "I'm sorry about...all of this. I'll be damned if I'm doing any of this right."

She rose up, "Cloud, you have nothing to apologize for. You don't have to worry."

Cloud sighed, "To be honest, I just feel...I don't know...unsure, maybe? I've...never really done anything like this before...ever."

Aerith leaned up. "Oh." At first, she felt a little guilty that she had acted out so passionately without taking into account that Cloud was a very introverted person and had no experience with these sort of displays of affection before. However, she completely understood what he was going through.

She began to fasten the buttons on her dress. "Well, you have nothing to worry about because this is all new to me, too. I'm in the same boat as you are. It's okay, Cloud." She gave him a warm smile.

He questioned, "You're not upset?"

Aerith giggled and lightly kissed his chest, "Well, I can't say that things ended the way I expected them to, but I understand. We'll have to just wait until the time and place is right."

Cloud chuckled lightly, "You're right. The Highwind of all places, what were we thinking? If Cid found out, he'd smack us both."

She gently trailed her fingers up and down his neck, staring into his beautiful, blue eyes. "It was pretty easy for the two of us to be swept away in the moment. I'm very happy that this all happened, Cloud." She replied with a small giggle.

Cloud nodded and grinned, "Me too."

"Well, the night's still young. We still won't be back in Edge for a couple of hours." She pretended to think for a moment. "And...there are still plenty of fun things we can do while we wait to land, like...cuddling, perhaps?"

Cloud grinned and picked up his vest from off the floor, tossing it over him. "You tryin' to tell me something? You want your bodyguard to cuddle?" He jokingly asked.

She shrugged and took his hand, smiling flirtatiously at him. "Think you can do that, soldier? It may not be as "fun" as what we were just doing, but we'll just have to pick up where we left off next time. What do you say?"

"Fine." He firmly held onto her waist, "But don't worry..." He leaned down to kiss her neck, breathing warmly against her soft skin. "I'll make sure that the 'next time' will definitely be worth it." He confidently grinned.

Taken by surprise by his unforeseen boldness, Aerith smiled and let out a small giggle, rising up to kiss him again. She took him by the hands and led him towards the cabin, "I never know what to expect with you, Cloud Strife."

* * *

Cid came over the intercom, "Alright kiddos, we're just above Edge now prepare for landing!"

Aboard the cockpit of the ship, the crew men started scattering about, making sure that all of he preparations were finalized for their descent down into Edge.

From looking out of the window out of the front of the ship, Tifa stared down into the illuminated city below. It felt strange, as if they had been gone for such a long time, but really, it was only a couple of weeks. 'So much has happened...'

Barret approached Tifa, "Hey, you okay?"

Tifa turned to him and nodded, "Yeah, I guess I'm just a bit worried about Reno is all. He's been responsive, but he hasn't actually woken up yet." He hadn't awoken since their confrontation with Jenova back at the city. Until Reno would awaken again, Tifa's nerves would continue to get the best of her.

Barret placed his palm on her shoulder, "Yo, you're always like this. I'm sure he'll pull through just fine. Don't sweat it."

Tifa gave a small forced smile, "I hope you're right."

Barret continued, "Besides, you have tons of other stuff to stay focused on. We gotta get back to Elmyra's to pick up Marlene and Denzel! I can't wait to see my little girl again!" He chuckled, "Then, there's re-opening the Seventh Heaven and making sure all of your inventory is in place. You got your work cut out for you, Teef!"

Tifa sighed when she realized the amount of work that she actually had to do once she got back to the Seventh Heaven. Sure, while their adventure may not have necessarily been a "vacation", it was certainly fun to get out of Edge for a little while and see the world again. "I just can't shake the feeling that everything's going to change from here on out."

Barret raised his eyebrow at the woman, "What do ya mean?"

"Well, Jenova's gone and we're all returning home as if none of this adventure ever happened. Then, there's Reno...and depending on whether or not he gets better, he'll be staying with us. I feel like I'm starting to run a hotel and not a bar anymore." She chuckled lightly.

"Well, Spike's moving out, right? You could always stick Reno in his room."

Tifa shook her head, "Nuh-uh, Yuffie's already got dibs on it. As soon as she heard that Cloud might be moving in with Aerith, she decided to reserve that room for herself real quick."

"Didn't let ya have a say in it, huh?" Barret's placed a hand on his forehead, "So, we got both Reno AND Yuffie moving in. Damn. We REALLY got our work cut out for us now. You really are runnin' a hotel. What made you change your mind about Yuffie?"

"Well, she is our friend, after all. It wouldn't be right of me not to take her in. She's matured a lot since back then, too. I'm willing to give her this chance."

Barret nodded, "Plus, with Shera and Cid's new kid, I'm sure it'll be best for all of em. I could see Yuffie being driven to insanity after listening to Mina's crying after awhile."

"Exactly." She laughed

"I guess things really are going to be changing in Edge."

The Highwind descended down towards the earth, where it parked right on the outskirts of the city.

* * *

At the front of her house in Edge, Elmyra tended to the small garden at the front of her lawn, pulling away at the freshly grown in weeds that were scattered about the soil. She placed a freshly, grown flower into the soil, admiring its' beauty. Flowers had always reminded the woman of her daughter and would always plant them along with Marlene in honor and memory of her.

"Hello, mom." A voice behind her replied, calmly.

Elmyra stopped when she heard the voice. It was one that she recognized immediately, but thought that she would never hear again. She looked over her shoulder and saw Aerith standing at the front of the lawn.

Elmyra breathed out, feeling a sense of happiness and love stream through her. When she saw her daughter, she didn't believe that she was actually standing there in front of them. She whispered, "Aerith..."

Aerith, herself, felt nerves rush up within her. This was the first time seeing her mom since she had left Midgar all those years ago. She had overwhelming love for her mother, especially after all she had done for her, but she couldn't help but feel that Elmyra would be angry with her for leaving the city in the first place. If there was one thing that Aerith knew about her step-mother, it was that she always wanted to make sure that her daughter would remain safe and stay out of danger. Aerith's actions had gone against all of that.

Elmyra slowly approached her daughter and cautiously raised her hands up to her cheek, lifting her head. Elmyra looked into her daughter's emerald eyes, as if to validate that this was actually her daughter. When she realized the truth, she felt tears of happiness stream down her face. This was all she could have ever asked for.

"Aerith." She wrapped her arms around her daughter, pulling her into a tight embrace, one that she had wanted to give her for many years. There was so much love between this mother and daughter. They had both done so much for one another and were there in each other's lives when they needed each other most.

Aerith smiled into the embrace, feeling a sort of warmth and affection run through her. "I never thought I'd see you again."

"Oh, but I'm so glad you did." Elmyra smiled through her tears. "But I don't understand. How...?"

"It's a long story. We'll tell you everything." Aerith looked over her shoulder and glanced back at Cloud, who was walking up the pathway to the front of the house. He was followed by a few of their friends.

"Hello, Elmyra." Cloud nodded at her.

"Cloud." Elmyra approached the man and wrapped her arms around him, lightly embracing him. The loss of Aerith and the amount of love that they had for her was two things that bound Cloud and Elmyra together.

Elmyra pulled back. "It's good to see you."

"You, too." Cloud brought his hand down to Aerith's and lightly grasped hers, looking over at her.

If this was not a sure enough sign of Cloud and Aerith's relationship to Elmyra, she didn't know what was. She smiled at the two of them in front of her, "Ah, so I see that you really do have a lot to tell me then."

"We do, mom." Aerith looked over at Cloud and lightly kissed him on the cheek. "We really do."

Elmyra giggled, "Well, don't just stand there, then! Come inside all of you! I'll put on a pot of tea." She had welcomed the small group inside of her home, before heading off into the kitchen to prepare some tea.

Aerith glanced around Elmyra's new home, taking into account how similar things were to her former home in the Midgar slums. The home wasn't overly lavish, but definitely comfortable and cozy. Flowers were delicately arranged throughout the house, causing the sweet, fresh scent of the carnations to carry throughout. "She still keeps things as tidy as ever."

She was interrupted when she heard a sound come from the staircase leading to the second floor of the home. She spied Marlene and Denzel peaking down from the banister by the second floor. "Ah, I think we have some visitors."

When Marlene had spotted Aerith, she charged down the staircase. "The flower lady! She's back! She's back!" When Marlene had reached the bottom of the staircase, she saw her father standing there.

"Daddy!" She ran forwards towards Barret, throwing her arms around him. It felt a bit overwhelming for her to see all of her favorite people return all at once. It didn't matter though, Marlene was so incredibly happy and nothing would be able to change that.

"Marlene! Daddy's so happy to see you!" Barret scooped Marlene up into her arms and nuzzled his face into hers.

Marlene laughed out loud, "Daddy! Daddy, stop! Your whiskers are hurting."

Denzel slowly made his way down the steps, where he was then greeted by Tifa. Tifa smiled and ran her hand through his brown curly hair. "I see you held up well. See? Living with all girls wouldn't be so terrible, right?", she joked.

Denzel smiled and shrugged.

Yuffie cheered, "It's good to see ya, kiddo!"

When Barret had finally released Marlene, the young girl headed off towards Cloud and Aerith and hugged them, respectively. "I'm so happy to see you again! Do you like my bow?" Marlene ecstatically questioned, showing Aerith a bow tied in her hair that was greatly similar to her own.

"It's lovely." Aerith admired.

When Denzel had spotted Aerith, he paused, looking a bit cautious and nervous.

Aerith extended her arms out towards him and welcomed the young boy into her arms. She smiled lightly at him, "It's good to see you again, Denzel."

Cloud's eyes widened a bit when realization had struck him.

Elmyra returned into the living room with a kettle and a few cups in her hands, "Alright, everyone, tell me everything that happened." She sat down on the comfortable couch in the room and began pouring the tea.

The group gathered around her and took their places, all sharing the details of their adventure to Elmyra, informing her of everything that had happened.

When they were finished, Elmyra placed her cup of tea down onto the table. "Well, it sounds like you all had quite an adventure. I'm glad that you all made it back here safely and with my daughter, too!" She smiled, grasping Aerith's hand.

Tifa chimed in, "We are, too. Things worked out beautifully."

"Daddy! Don't say that you'll be leaving any time soon again! I'll miss you too much!" Marlene stomped her foot down.

"Don't worry. Daddy's here to stay." Barret leaned over to Elmyra. "Thank you for watching over the kids again, Elmyra. You really are a big help."

She smiled, "I don't mind at all. It was my pleasure."

Tifa spoke up to Marlene and Denzel, "The two of you should start packing your things up. We'll be bringing you back to the Seventh Heaven in the morning." She began to lead the two children up the stairs to begin arranging their belongings. Barret soon followed up to lend a helping hand.

When Yuffie had been left alone downstairs along with Cloud, Aerith and Elmyra, she took it upon herself to head back to the buggy that they had parked outside. 'Might as well check up on Reno.'

Elmyra leaned towards Cloud and Aerith and began, "So, the two of you..."

Aerith smiled and nodded, "Yes, mom. Cloud and I are together."

"Well, I can't say that I didn't expect it!" She smiled at the two of them. "So, what are the two of you going to do now?"

"Well..." Aerith started, looking over at Cloud. "We thought that maybe...we could stay here, if you wouldn't mind?"

Cloud nodded, "Just for a little while. Until we could find a place of our own."

"Ah, I understand." Elmyra thought for a second, already knowing what her answer was. "Well, I'm not going to throw my own daughter out, now am I? Any extra minute that I get with you will be one that I cherish, Aerith."

Her daughter got up and hugged her mother, "Thanks, mom."

"Of course, dear. The two of you could stay as long as you want." Elmyra began to gather up the cups of tea, tidying up the table. She accusingly pointed at Cloud with a coy smile. "As for you mister, don't try and funny business."

Cloud innocently shrugged, "Whatever do you mean?"

She wagged her finger at him, "I just spent weeks running my own nursery with the kids. I don't need to act like some chaperone now, making sure the two of you aren't making out and then some like some lovesick teenagers." She jokingly replied with a wide grin, taking the tray in her hands and walking towards the kitchen.

Aerith felt her cheeks redden and covered her face with her hands.

She whined, "Mom..."

Elmyra turned back to them. "Well, as long as I don't see it, I won't suspect a thing." She winked at them, before disappearing into the kitchen.

Aerith removed her hands from her face and looked over at Cloud. She still felt the heat in her cheeks. "Well, she handled that better than we thought. Good thing she has a sense of humor."

Cloud smiled and nodded.

Aerith gave him an inquisitive look and leaned in closer to him. "You ok?"

Cloud turned to her and replied, with slight confusion in his voice. "Denzel. You knew him all along."

She took a seat down next to him and placed her head on his shoulder. "I did. I met him long ago, long before any of you actually knew him. I met him while I was selling flowers in the Sector Seven slums one day. I saved him from a man that tried to hurt him. We became quite close after that for a short time."

Cloud shook his head, "It's strange. I...never knew. He never told me."

Aerith smiled, "Well, could you see why? He was only a child. He might be young, but he's very smart, just like Marlene. What if he was scared that he would hurt you? He knew how much you cared about me. Him telling you wouldn't have made a bit of difference."

Cloud nodded in response. He had always felt that Aerith guided Denzel to him, specifically. Even though Aerith had implied it to him when they had met once in the flower fields, he was still uncertain and wanted Aerith to answer some of his questions for him.

Cloud smiled at her, "You led Denzel to meet me, didn't you? You were there that day, guiding him to your church to see me. He recognized you."

Aerith took hold of his hand and smiled at him, "Well, what do you think?" She laughed lightly, "It was me. I made it so that the two of you would meet."

"I knew it. I had a connection to you through Denzel." Cloud questioned, "Why'd you make us meet?"

Aerith sighed and looked down at her hands, "Well, I grew to care about him. He was a child in the slums of Midgar, he was an outcast, he lost his parents. He's a bit rough around the edges, but is very endearing. I saw a lot of myself in him."

She paused and looked up at him, a small smile on her face. "I saw a lot of you in him, too. He's very quiet and shy. He keeps a lot of his thoughts to himself."

Cloud smirked, "When you put it that way, he really is a lot like me and you."

Aerith looked at him, "Cloud, I didn't want him to live the life that you and I had. I wanted to trust him with people that would care about him, like you and Barret and Tifa. I wanted to give him his best chance."

Cloud smiled and took hold of her waist. "You really did. Denzel's a great kid."

She lightly laughed, "Of course, he looks up to you as an important role model. You're very important to him."

He smiled, "You know, you really are amazing."

Aerith returned the smile, "You're not so bad yourself."

Cloud raised his lips to her forehead and placed a lingering kiss on it. He gently muttered on her skin, "I'd love to kiss you right now, but I think your mother's spying on us right now."

His words caused Aerith to turn her head, spotting her mother peeking her head out from the kitchen. "MOM!"

She called out from the kitchen, "Sorry, to destroy the moment, you two! Just pretend I wasn't here!"

Aerith let out an agitated groan and raised one of the couch pillows over her face.

Cloud leaned towards her and smirked, "So, when are we moving out?"

* * *

Some time later, Barret and Tifa made their way down the steps carrying some of the suitcases that held most of Marlene and Denzel's belongings. Elmyra greeted them at the bottom of the steps.

"Are you sure they don't want to go back tonight? They're probably excited to head back to the Seventh Heaven." Elmyra questioned.

Tifa nodded, "Well, they insisted that they should stay one more night here, if that's okay with you. For old time's sake."

"I don't mind." Elmyra smiled.

Barret grinned, "Damn, Elmyra! You musta done a good job with the kids if they want to stay here. I was sure Marlene would wanna come right away!"

Elmyra chastised, "Barret, don't be silly! Marlene loves you. It's just for one more night and then everything will be back to the way it was."

"Right." He glanced over at Tifa, "Well, c'mon Teef. It's gettin' late. Reno and Yuffie are still waiting out by the buggy."

"Thanks again, Elmyra." She turned to take some of the luggage out of the front door with her. "We'll be back to pick up Marlene and Denzel in the morning."

"We'll see you then!" Elmyra called out.

Tifa and Barret headed out to the car, surprised to see that the sun had already set and the night sky was illuminated in a thick blanket of stars cast over Edge. They started to pack the car up with the belongings. Yuffie was in the front seat of the buggy, while Reno was still asleep in the back.

"He's still sleep, huh?" Barret questioned when he saw the sleeping red head.

Yuffie looked back. "Oh, yeah. Just how hard was he hit anyway?"

Tifa sighed, "I'm really starting to worry. He should have recovered by now, right? What if we're going about this wrong?"

Barret calmed her down, "Tifa, relax. You always work yourself up to become a mess. When we git back to the bar, we'll take care of things."

Tifa shook her head and reluctantly sighed, "Alright."

The two had climbed into the buggy and soon enough, were making their way back down the street through the city.

Once they had left, Elmyra let out a small sigh and shut the front door, before quickly making her way through the living room and ascending up the staircase. When she had reached the second floor of the house, she heard some small whispers coming from the kids' rooms and quietly tip-toed over to peek through the small crack in the door.

Inside, she saw Aerith sitting atop Marlene's bed, while Denzel was in his own across from hers. Aerith quietly tucked Marlene into bed, pulling the blankets up over her.

Marlene quietly let out a small yawn, "We're so happy that you're back, Aerith. Everyone's coming back!"

Denzel rose up from his bed, "Are you gonna be staying here with Cloud, Aerith?"

Aerith smiled and nodded, "Yeah, at least until we could find a place for just the two of us."

Marlene cheered and excitedly clapped her hands together, "See? I knew it! I knew that you liked him. He told me that he wanted you to like him!"

Aerith raised an eyebrow at her, "Did he now?"

The young girl confidently nodded and after a moment, a small look of thought appeared across her face. She spoke up, "Aerith, you're really brave, do you know that?"

Aerith was slightly taken aback by Marlene's statement. She knew that Marlene had always been very perceptive, but it was still strange to hear this come from a child.

Elmyra slightly leaned closer to the door, trying to her the conversation better.

Aerith smiled and questioned the young girl, "What do you mean?"

"I think she means because you're always trying to help everyone. You always save the day. You even helped rescue me and Marlene from the bad guys!" Denzel spoke up.

Marlene nodded, excitedly. "Yeah! It's like you look out for all of us kids when our parents are away."

Aerith looked between Marlene and Denzel, "Well, you know, I had a person that did the same for me, too. I want to be there to help anyone who needs it."

"Who was that person?" Marlene spoke up.

Aerith continued, "Well, when I was younger, I escaped from some of the bad guys, the same ones that tried to take you, Marlene. I fled through the streets without any clue of where to go. I was so lost. This woman, she had no idea who I was, she came running after me. She saved me and took me in. She gave up much of her own life just to care for me."

From behind the door, Elmyra felt tears begin to well up in her eyes, knowing that the woman that her daughter was talking about was indeed herself.

Aerith continued, "My mother told me that she always wanted to give me my best chance to live a safe life and she knew this woman was it. She gave me a life worth living. She was one of the most caring people I've ever met. She changed me. I try to show everyone that same amount of care that this woman showed me. I'm still trying to find some way to thank this woman for all that she had done for me."

Elmyra quietly stepped away from the door, feeling a lot of emotions rush through her. It was wonderful to hear her step-daughter speak so highly of her. She felt as though Aerith was the one that deserved a thank you. She had been there for Elmyra at a time when she needed her most. She wiped away her tears, feeling a great rush of love run through her.

She turned around to spot Cloud.

"Are you alright?" He questioned.

"Um, yeah." Elmyra tried to fix her composure, being suddenly surprised by Cloud's sudden appearance. It was something she would apparently have to get used to. "Cloud, you scared me. I didn't know you were there."

He shrugged, "Sorry."

She began to lead him down the hallway, "Cloud, I'd like to talk to you about something. It's about Aerith."

His eyes widened, "Oh, was it about earlier? I'm so-"

She playfully laughed at him, "No, Cloud. Don't worry about that. I...I just don't want to see Aerith get hurt."

Cloud shook his head, "Elmyra, I would never want to hurt her."

She lightly smiled, "Oh, I know, Cloud. I've...seen her go through so much. She's been through so much pain and sadness. I just want her to have a safe life now."

Cloud sighed, relieved that the two of them were both concerned about the same thing. "I want the exact same thing for her."

Elmyra placed her hand on his shoulder, "I want my daughter to be happy. Can you make sure that she is?"

He smiled confidently, "I promise you that I will make her happy."

"Well then, I hope the two of you will find your own place soon so that this old lady won't be cramping your style." She heartily joked, before pulling Cloud into a tight hug.

Cloud smiled, "Thank you, Elmyra."

She pulled back from the hug. "Please, call me Mom." She took hold of his chin and examined his face closer. "Now go and wash yourself up. If my daughter's going to be kissing this thing, you can at least give yourself a clean shave." She lightly slapped his chin before turning away from him, slightly giggling down the hallway.

Cloud let out a small annoyed groan, rubbing his face. "Yes, mom."

* * *

Later that night, Barret, Tifa and Yuffie had returned home with a still sleeping Reno. The Seventh Heaven was exactly how they had left it. Tifa knew that, come the morning, she would have a whole new slate of work on her plate. Dealing with both Yuffie and Reno would be attributed to that.

Reno was brought up to the spare bedroom above the Seventh Heaven, where he continued to receive the well-deserve sleep that he needed. He had remained asleep for most of the day at this point. It was one thing to be left out cold from an attack or an incident, but Tifa knew that if Reno didn't wake up soon, there would be something seriously wrong.

She quietly left Barret and Yuffie down at the bar and made her way up the wooden staircase, leading up towards the second floor of the bar. She crept down the hallway and entered into the room where Reno was sleeping. She quietly stepped in and shut the door behind her. There seemed to be a strange sort of musty scent that traveled through the room, as if it had been unlived in for some time. Tifa let out a small sneeze, taking in the dust that had gathered along the wooden floor of the room. The place would need a good cleaning in the morning.

She walked over to Reno, who's chest slowly rose and fell with each steady breath that he took. She sat down on the edge of the bed, looking over the man's features.

She smiled gently to herself, feeling her worries push away from her. 'He looks so peaceful.' It was at moments like this, when Tifa needed re-assurance the most. As much as she wanted to appear strong and confident, she was terrified on the inside. She needed the belief that everything was going to be okay, even if it was only giving her false hope. It was one of her own personal insecurities that she knew she needed help with.

She bent down and placed a small kiss onto Reno's forehead and pulled up the covers of his blankets, snugly tucking him in. She gently ran a hand through his fiery locks.

"Feel better." She whispered. She had the recurring concern of losing the people that were important to her and seeing Reno in his current condition only made those feelings grow much more apparent. Her own feelings for him grew, as well. After seeing how things had went earlier that day between Cloud and Aerith, after everything that they had been through, it made her realize not to take anything for granted, especially when it came to love.

She promised herself, when Reno would awaken, she would make every moment worthwhile.

She rose from the bed and made her way across the bedroom. She stopped just at the door when she heard some rustling behind her. She turned around to see Reno shuffling underneath the bed covers.

She breathed out, relieved. "Reno..." She walked back up to the bed and sat on the edge. She had been worried all day, but at least Reno was now responsive. Tifa had felt like a great burden had been lifted from her shoulders.

Tifa smiled when the red-head had slowly cracked open one of his eyes, letting out a sharp wince of pain. 'He must have been hit pretty hard. He's a strong one, though. He'll make it.' To Tifa, it didn't matter. She would watch over him each day if that's what it took. He was actually showing signs of recovery and that's all that mattered.

She buried her head into his chest, "I'm so happy you're okay. You really scared me!"

Reno stared at her, confused. "Huh? What...happened?"

She simply smiled and shook her head. "It...it doesn't matter now. I'll tell you everything in the morning. Just get some rest now." She ran her hand through his hair. "I'm just so relieved you're okay, Reno."

He stared at her, his brows furrowing in confusion. He stuttered out, "Who...who's Reno?"

Tifa's eyes widened, "...What...?"

* * *

Cloud walked into the shower, enjoying the feeling of the warm water running over his body. After a long adventure like the one he had just experienced, there was nothing like taking a moment to relax. He washed the soap over his body, stepping underneath the spray of water to wash the lathered soapy suds away.

He could get used to this lifestyle. No more fighting, no more worries, battles were over, Shinra and Jenova was gone, Aerith was here. It was exactly everything that Cloud wanted. When he thought of the days ahead of him, there were so many possibilities. For the first time in a while, Cloud felt that everything was exactly as it was meant to be.

When he was finished, he turned the nozzle of the shower off and stepped out, grabbing a towel and throwing on a blue pair of shorts. He draped the towel over his shoulder and stepped out of the bathroom, making his way back off to his new bedroom. Once inside, he saw Aerith placing a few of her things in one of the drawers of the room.

"Hey, I thought you'd be asleep by now."

Aerith turned back to him and smiled, "I was waiting up for you." She looked around the room and sighed. "I guess I never knew how much work it took to move into a new place."

Cloud smiled, "Give it time. We'll get it done eventually."

She playfully pushed him back down so that he was sitting on the bed. She lifted her legs over his and straddled him, bringing her nose down to just lightly touch his. "You know, everything's about to change from here on out."

She thought for a second. There were so many new opportunities that were open to her now. She could be with Cloud, see the world, do things that she had always wanted to do. It almost seemed a tad daunting to think of all of the possibilities ahead of her.

He smirked, "Hm. You nervous?"

She concluded, "Only a little. I'm more excited than anything. I have nothing to be nervous about as long as my bodyguard is around."

He held onto her waist and grinned, "Yeah, we have nothing to be concerned about. All of our problems are gone. We can finally live that life that we talked about."

"And even though life will keep changing, there's one thing that remains constant..." She wrapped her hands around his neck and inched closer to him. "...and I'm looking at him."

His smile grew and he leaned forward to press his lips up against hers in a soft, warm kiss. He brought his hands up to trail through her long, chestnut-brown hair.

She pulled back from the kiss. "And I wouldn't have it any other way."

* * *

In the ruins of the Forgotten Capitol, a strange disturbance shook the area. An impulse of sorts shot forth from within the depths of the ruins. The decayed ancient pillars of the fortress shook and clattered, sending debris falling to the ground.

From within the sudden impulse, Jenova materialized from within the ruins, writhing and contorting. She lifted up her blood-red limbs, which had faded to a pale pink. She felt faint and felt a deep pain trickle through with every movement that she made. It felt as though something had started to eat away at her body and the effects showed no signs of mercy.

She gritted, "The damn Cetra..."

A dark voice called out to her, "Well, I certainly enjoyed that disappearing act you pulled. They would be ignorant enough to think that you are actually gone."

Jenova turned to face the direction of the voice. "I was too late, though. I may have managed to escape, but I still took the blow from the White Materia and look at what it's done to me!" She emphasized the last part, feeling the pain as she flailed her limbs about. "I should have killed that damn girl on the spot."

The voice chuckled, darkly. "That would have been wise, but she's still the connection that I need to get to Cloud. She's still a valuable piece to our game. When I've got Cloud where I want him, then we can kill her."

A sickening smile grew across Jenova's face, turning towards her companion. "So, you were able to escape from Cloud's own conscience, along with the Cetra. You were able to manifest yourself in this world as a remnant of Cloud's memories." She approached her ally, running her grotesque limb along the edge of his sharp masamune sword.

Jenova questioned, "What else can you do?"

"Mother, you have no idea." Sephiroth smirked.

Jenova smiled, "So, what do we do?"

Sephiroth concluded, "We wait. We make them believe that they have won. We let them live in the illusion that they are safe and then, we kill them. We destroy this world."

She exhaled, pleased. "Excellent. It will take some time, but we can get exactly what we want." She turned to him, "You know what we must do now, right?"

"Indeed." Sephiroth smiled, wickedly. "We have a Cetra to find."

* * *

Note: Thank you everyone so much for reading! I also am very appreciative of the wonderful reviews that I have received.

I know that the lat couple of chapters have definitely set up to sort of appear to be the "end" of the story, but this chapter really turned that idea upside down! There will be a few more chapters coming along. I'm thinking there will probably be twenty two chapters total for this story, so it isn't over just yet. Definitely stick around to see what unfolds next and I hope you all enjoyed so far! Thank you!


	17. Things Are Changing

Hello everyone and welcome back! I hope you are enjoying the story!

Just a small Disclaimer: This chapter does feature some adult content, but I don't think anything too descriptive that should cause the rating to change. Just letting you know! Enjoy!

**Chapter Seventeen - Things Are Changing**

A month and a half later.

The next couple of weeks had quickly passed and things were changing within the city of Edge. The late summer was just beginning and the people of the city were doing what they could to enjoy the last couple weeks of the season. After their adventure had been completed, Cloud and his companions returned to where they belonged where they resumed their normal lives. Well, for the most part.

Life at the Seventh Heaven hadn't exactly been the easiest for Tifa. As soon as they arrived back in Edge, she was almost immediately thrust back into her usual, busy working schedule, keeping the bar afloat almost single-handedly. This would not have been much of a problem if it were not for her other concern: Reno. He was brought to the Medical Center in the heart of the city, where he was closely examined. The doctors had concluded that Reno was afflicted by memory loss due to blunt trauma caused by a head injury. The doctors told Tifa that there was a chance of recovery and that he could regain his memories, but it would take some time.

Tifa brought Reno back to the Seventh Heaven where she kept a close watch on him, but with her constant working schedule, it became quite a hassle. Luckily, she had friends in place that would help lighten the load of her burdens. Although Reno was unsure about a lot of things, he was showing small signs of improvement, even if Tifa hadn't seen them.

Barret and Marlene had settled down into living their usual life at the Seventh Heaven. They often helped Tifa out around the place while Tifa was looking after Reno. While Marlene couldn't have been happier about her father being back home, what he didn't tell her was that he was planning a trip back to Corel sometime soon. This time, however, he would be taking his daughter with him. However, these hypothetical plans of his would only happen if he knew that Tifa would be okay.

Denzel was also still living at the Seventh Heaven, but often times found himself over at Elmyra's house, spending much of his time with Cloud and Aerith. He and Marlene also became a part of a young group of children that had all been through rather similar situations. It was a small tight-knit group of a few children that soon became good friends.

Zack had spent a couple more weeks within Wutai, along with the other Turks. They had offered most of their time to help out around the fallen city and progress was quickly being made. There was a great, new sense of community established all throughout Wutai, where people, complete strangers, showed a genuine, selfless connection between one another. The city was quickly being rebuilt.

After Zack had left Wutai, he made his way back to Gongaga, where he reunited with his parents. They were shocked to say the least. He had tried to keep in touch with Cloud, Aerith, Tifa and his other friends that he made, but it proved to be a bit difficult. Along his journey to return home, he unexpectedly came across Cissnei while docking in Costa del Sol. Although their meeting was brief, she still managed to persuade him to go on a date with her. When she asked if they could go on another sometime soon, he obliged. The Turks had continued to perform acts of goodness, doing whatever they could to help out someone in need. It was this new image of themselves that they tried to instill and uphold. When Reeve had asked Zack if he would be interested in joining the "new" Turks, it actually took him a moment to think about it before declining. Around the same time Zack left Wutai, the Turks returned to Edge. Once back home, Tseng and Elena had continued to date. Surprisingly, Yuffie and Elena had started to become closer to one another and soon became good friends. Rude was shocked when he found out that Reno, his partner in crime, had completely lost his memories. When Rude saw Reno upon returning, he was surprised to realize that Reno had no re-collection of him, whatsoever. When Rude was not working with the Turks, he spent his time trying to knock some sense into Reno.

Vincent had also returned to the city of Edge, where he established a new location for himself on the far outskirts of the city. He would never admit it, but he still kept his ties to the Turks intact.

Red soon returned home to Cosmo Canyon, where the people of the small cliff-side village welcomed his return with open arms. He kept his departed grandfather's observatory intact, conserving the massive wealth of information that he had accumulated over the years for future generations. All of Cosmo Canyon respected and honored Bugenhagen as one of the wisest men that the planet would ever know.

Cid and Shera returned home to Rocket Town along with their newborn child. While Shera spent most of her time caring for little Mina, Cid continued his operations along his two head-lining ships. Although he continued his work, he took time out of his day to make sure that he had more of it to spend with his family.

Yuffie had returned to Wutai for a short time, before returning to Edge. With Cid and Shera raising a new family in Rocket Town, she felt as though she would be imposing on them, especially when caring for a new baby. With Cid and Shera's hands already full, Yuffie had decided to move back into the Seventh Heaven with Tifa's permission. Tifa was actually more than welcoming in letting Yuffie come back, especially after how much she had matured. A few weeks later, Tifa offered Yuffie a job as a waitress at the bar and she had been working there since.

Cloud and Aerith remained at Elmyra's house, where, for the first time, they felt so content with the normal life they had been living. Cloud had managed to pick-up work with his delivery services, making shippings all throughout Edge and the surrounding villages. He was pulling in a good deal of gil from the amount of hours he had been working. Aerith had talked about plans of opening a flower shop in the heart of Edge after realizing the surprising lack of flowers throughout the city. With help from Cloud, she recently established a small shop and was kept busy preparing the shop for its' opening. When the two of them had settled into their temporary home, Cloud and Aerith had enjoyed being together and started looking for a new place for them to live somewhere within the city.

* * *

Aerith stirred from her sleep, slowly opening one of her eyes. Ahead of her, the bright light from the sun shone in through the slightly opened window, causing a slight breeze to blow through the room. She could hear the pleasant sound of the morning birds chirping just outside of the window. She exhaled and smiled, feeling content and at peace.

Cloud tightened her grip around her waist, when he felt her stir. He pulled her closer to him, her back pressed up against his chest and her head resting on her arm.

She turned around and grinned at him, "Morning."

He stared at her through sleepy eyes and smiled back, "Good morning."

She leaned up and lightly kissed him, before cuddling into his chest. A cool, summer breeze came from within the window and gently tickled her skin, causing her to shiver slightly. Beneath the think blanket that covered them, all she had on was one of Cloud's shirts that was a bit too large for her. Cloud pulled the blanket up to wrap around her more warmly and brought his hands down to her waist.

She coyly tried to hide her face within the blankets, avoiding his gaze.

"What are you doing?" He replied with a small chuckle.

Her voice sounded muffled from beneath the blanket. "I...just woke up. I probably look like a mess." She felt embarrassed. Cloud had seen her without make-up or anything before, but that didn't mean she liked it. If anything, she didn't want to scare him off!

"Are you kidding me?"

Cloud playfully laughed and pulled the blanket away from her. He thought that this wasn't even an issue for her to be concerned about. It didn't matter if she was dolled up or just waking up in the morning, it made no difference to him.

He pressed his hand up against her chin and lifted her face so that his eyes stared into hers, just a few inches away. "You're always beautiful."

She lightly smiled, "But you always say that. It's not true."

He smiled, "Yes it is. I mean it every time." He brought his lips down to her shoulder and began to place small kisses along her skin.

She closed her eyes and sighed. As much as she wanted nothing more than to just be in bed all day, she knew that she had work to do. She giggled and playfully pushed Cloud away from her. "Stop, I have work to do today. You know I won't get up out of bed once you start doing that."

"That was sort of the idea." He smiled at her. "What's on your schedule for the day?"

She pushed herself up off the bed, "Well, I was going to head over to the Seventh Heaven to check up on Tifa and to see how Reno was doing. Denzel and I were then going to head down to the flower shop to start fixing some things up."

"That's good." He rested his hands behind his head. "I got a few deliveries I have to make today, too, just outside of the city. At least I'm making some gil."

She smiled, "Well, think about it, once the shop opens up, with my flower business and your delivery service, we'll make a fortune around the holidays." She gave herself a hypothetical pat on the back when she thought about how good of an idea it was.

He smiled, knowing that Aerith was a genius a lot of the time. "Well, I don't see how that'll happen when I'll be spending them with you."

She headed towards the door, making her way to the bathroom for a shower. She smiled, "You'll just have to make a few early deliveries for all those love struck boyfriends."

Cloud chuckled and called back out to her, "Should I wait up for you for breakfast?"

"No, don't worry about it. I'll be okay. Come stop by the shop on your break if you have the chance." She finished before leaving the room and entering into the bathroom.

"Alright." Cloud rested back down onto the bed, a small smile on his face.

This is how the two of them would spend their mornings. They would both wake up in each other's arms, before heading down stairs where Aerith or Elymra would usually prepare breakfast. They would then head out to work and return home by the late afternoon. It was that semblance of a normal life that the two of them had always wanted and after all this time, they felt like they had deserved it. It felt wonderful to have no worries or cares, to just live life one day at a time.

And Cloud and Aerith couldn't have been happier.

* * *

The morning at the Seventh Heaven carried on as usual. The place was bustling with many people coming and going for their morning breakfast, keeping Tifa and Yuffie both very busy for most of the morning. While the bar tended to die down once the afternoon came about, the mornings at this place were truly something to behold. It became known throughout the city as one of the best places to get some early breakfast specials and the amount of the people that came through definitely showed that.

The bell on the counter rang and, from behind the bar, Tifa presented a tray of different breakfast plates that she had just whipped up from the kitchen. Elena was sitting up at the bar, sipping on her typical morning coffee.

Yuffie came up to the bar and took hold of the tray, "Thanks. One breakfast platter. This for the table in the corner?"

Tifa looked up and nodded, pointing towards one of the tables in the bar. She recognized the man sitting at the table. He looked younger, maybe in his early twenties, with curly brown hair and a cute face. He had been a new regular that had been coming to the bar every morning for the past week or so.

Yuffie caught sight of this and turned to her, "Oh, yeah. That guy. He's come here for a couple days now. He always leaves me a pretty good tip! But psh, look at me, who wouldn't?"

Tifa caught the man looking up and staring at Yuffie for a moment, before looking away. She smiled, coyly. "Ah, I think someone has a new admirer, Yuffie."

Yuffie's eyes widened, "What?!" She quickly turned back to the man at the table and saw the man staring up at her before looking away. 'Well, he is pretty cute and...wait, no! What the hell am I thinking?" Yuffie had never been in a relationship before, nor did she think that she was going to get in one anytime soon.

She turned back to them, her cheeks flushed. "Are you guys serious?"

Elena chimed in, "Well, he has been coming here for the past week. Maybe the food isn't the only thing bringing him back?"

Tifa smiled and nodded, "Well, whatever it is you're doing, Yuffie, keep at it! It's bringing in good business."

Yuffie whined, "You guys...!"

The bell at the entrance of the bar rang when the door was opened and Aerith stepped inside, walking up to the bar. "Morning ladies."

Elena looked over her shoulder, "Morning, Aerith."

"Here you go, Tifa. I brought you some of those ingredients from the market." She presented Tifa a small bag full of goods and other such things.

"Thanks." Tifa smiled and accepted the bag from her, lightly kissing her friend on the cheek to greet her.

Aerith quickly noticed the women's gazes and Yuffie's crimson red face and decided to take it upon herself to question them. "Is everything ok?"

Elena turned to her with a smile, "Yuffie's got a new boyfriend." She turned back at the guy at the table and pointed.

"Don't!" Yuffie grabbed her friend's hand. "Don't look at him. He'll know we're talking about him! Besides, he's not my boyfriend!" She shouted a bit too loudly, causing everyone in the bar, including the man, to look up at her.

Tifa shook her head, "Well, that blew your cover."

"Do you want us to talk to him for you?" Aerith mischievously smiled.

A coy glint appeared in Elena's eyes. "Ooh, let's do it." She got up from her bar stool before Yuffie grabbed her arm.

Yuffie quickly got on the defensive and stared at them, her eyes wide. "You guys, stop it! I mean it."

Elena crossed her arms and huffed. "Well, you could of at least given us a chance. Aerith's got Cloud love struck, Tifa's got Reno so wired that he doesn't even know who he is and I've got Tseng right in my pocket. We're like pros at this stuff!" She placed her palm on Yuffie's cheek and mockingly spoke to her. "Don't worry, little one. With our help, you won't be hopeless for much longer."

Yuffie playfully slapped her arm away, a dead serious look still in her eyes. "I'm seriously going to hurt you one of these days."

Elena smiled, triumphant. Even though she was good friends with Yuffie now, they still had their fun picking on one another. It was a mutual component of their friendship, which both of them took full advantage of.

Aerith smiled and placed her hand on Yuffie's shoulder, "Don't worry, we're just messing with you." She turned to Tifa then, "Is Denzel upstairs? We were going to go prepare some things over at the flower shop today."

"Yeah. I'll go take you up there." She untied the apron from around her neck and placed it down onto the counter. She handed the tray of breakfast foods over to Yuffie. "Here you go, the food's getting cold. Take it over to your boyfriend." Without another word, Tifa led Aerith upstairs.

Yuffie groaned, "He's not my boyfriend..." She took hold of the tray and turned back to Elena. She straightened herself, not wanting to act funny or show any signs of being nervous, especially to the man at the table she was about to head over. She turned back to her friend. "Wish me luck."

Elena noticed Yuffie's hand nervously shaking, causing the plates on the tray to clatter. "A meal and a show to go along with it. This'll be good."

Yuffie shot daggers back at her friend, before making her way over to the table. She nervously approached the man. It felt a bit strange. She had seen this man several times before, but now when the idea dawned on her that he might be attracted to her, that changed everything. She now felt like a bumbling fool.

Almost as if on cue, Elena turned around with a shocked expression when she heard a loud clattering of plates and glasses. She couldn't help but hide her smile when she realized that Yuffie had just dropped the man's breakfast all over him.

"I'm sorry! I'm so sorry! I'm such a klutz!" Yuffie apologized repeatedly, her cheeks flushed and bright red. She avoided keeping all eye contact with him.

The man grabbed one of the napkins and began cleaning himself up. "It's alright, miss."

Elena's obstacle of hiding her laughter only became more difficult when Yuffie had accidentally knocked over a glass of water, splattering all over the man's shirt and pants. Now, Elena couldn't take it anymore and turned around. If she watched the scene any longer, she would just burst out into a fit of giggles.

At this point, Yuffie was done. Without a word, she got up and walked back to her friend, feeling as though she couldn't be any more embarrassed than she was at that exact moment. She brought her head to rest down on the wooden surface of the counter. Her cheeks were flushed and red, as she tried with all her might to hide them.

She muttered to Elena, "Please kill me now."

Her friend patted her on the back, reassuringly. "You really are hopeless."

Upstairs, Tifa had led Aerith to Reno's room and the two of them walked inside. Rude had been keeping Reno company, more or less disappointed by the fact that he still did not seem to remember who he was.

Tifa approached Rude, "How is he?"

Rude quietly averted his gaze and blushed, shaking his head. Ever since he got back from Wutai, Rude had been trying to keep Reno company, maybe jogging something in his memory to help him remember something, but it never happened.

On the plus side for Rude, visiting the Seventh Heaven fairly often was never a bad thing. He admitted that he always did have a small crush on Tifa, but knew that nothing would ever become of it. Ever since Tifa and Reno had become involved, he knew better than to get involved with her while they were dating, no matter how forgetful Reno may have been. Still, he did not mind hanging about the place every now and then.

Aerith cautiously approached the red-headed man in the bed. "Hey Reno. You remember me?"

Reno thought for a second and groaned out, "Ehrm...you're...that...that girl..." When his thoughts got the better of him, he turned his head away. "I'm sorry, I...I don't remember."

"This is Aerith." Tifa stated.

Aerith stepped forward, a gentle smile on her face. "We're friends, remember?"

Reno stuttered for a moment, looking perplexed. He simply shook his head.

Aerith politely sat down on the bed next to him. "It's okay, I'm sure you'll remember soon enough."

Tifa bit her lip and spoke up, "How are you feeling today, Reno?"

He groaned again and clutched his head, "Why does everyone keep calling me that?"

Tifa replied simply, "Because that's your name."

Inside of Reno's mind, it was one conflict upon another. He didn't know who he was or where he was for that matter, he didn't know what happened to him and he didn't know why these people cared so much about him. He felt like a shell of a man, like the world continued to move on and he was just lost in the big part of it. These "friends" of his would always tell him that he'd start to remember eventually, but the more he seemed to want to remember, the more he just couldn't.

Aerith had been to see Reno quite a few times now, all their friends had, but the reaction from him was always the same.

She spoke calmly, "Well, don't worry. I'm sure this won't last forever. We don't forget our memories forever. The most important ones, our happiest ones, we hold onto them forever. They're never truly gone."

Tifa nodded and lightly smiled, "She's right, Reno. There's no way you could forget all-"

"Can I just rest, please? I don't want to talk now." He cut her off.

Tifa was taken aback by Reno's attitude. It was highly unlike him.

A brief silence then filled the room. Both Aerith and Tifa felt like there was something that was needed to be said, but the two of them knew that there was no arguing with Reno. He didn't even have the proper understanding of who they were to begin with!

Tifa sighed, reluctantly. "Ok, but don't think you'll be able to push us away forever." She made her way towards the door. "Come on, Aerith. Let's go get Denzel."

The flower maiden turned back to the man, "Okay. Bye Re-"

She paused just short of his name, not wanting to disappoint or confuse him any further. "I hope you feel better." She followed Tifa towards the door after Reno had waved the two of them off, leaving him and Rude in the room. Rude's silence never seemed to bother him. His presence on the other hand was a different story.

As soon as Tifa had closed the door behind her, she turned to Aerith with tears brimming in her eyes.

Aerith tilted her head, feeling selfless to her friend's sadness. "Tifa..."

She brought her hands up around her younger friend and embraced her tightly. She wanted to fix whatever she could for Tifa, even if it was the smallest thing that would make her friend's day a little easier.

Tifa whimpered out, "What am I going to do? He doesn't even remember who he is. What if he never gets his memory back? What if it's too late?"

Aerith shook her head, "I don't think it's too late for him at all. Tifa, be strong. You can get through this. I know you can."

Tifa lowered her eyes and shook her head. She admired Aerith's optimism, but she never could fully understand it.

"Aerith, the two of us, we've never had an easy life. We've been through more hardships than anyone should go through. I don't understand how you can be so strong despite everything that's happened in your life."

Aerith remained silent.

Tifa shook her head, sorrowfully. "I don't understand...and I need to."

Aerith was always completely opposite of Tifa and the barmaid found that uplifting and reliable. She always wanted to be just as certain as Aerith was, but she would always have her own doubts and inner fears take over. No matter how hard she might try, she latched onto her insecurities and worries.

Tifa sighed, "It's just too much. I have to take care of Reno, I have to keep the bar afloat or the place'll close down, I have to make sure that everything stays afloat." Her voice cracked when her emotions got the best of her. "I just want life to be perfect again."

Almost as soon as she said it, Tifa realized that life for any of them never really was "perfect".

Aerith gently placed her hands on to her friend's shoulders and looked her in the eye.

She spoke calmly, "This is only temporary. Hope, your strength, your family and friends, that's what's going to get you through this, Tifa. You have friends and family that are here to help you out along the way."

A light smile grew across Tifa's face. Whenever Aerith had advice to give, it was always the right thing to hear when it needed to be heard. "You really believe that? That I can do this?"

"Oh, I know that you can. I know it will be tough, but you'll have me and Cloud and everyone else to help you out along the way."

Tifa smiled lightly, hoping that Aerith was right.

"And when it comes to Reno, yes, it might take some time, but I know that we will get him back sooner or later. It'll just take some time."

"Thank you, Aerith." Tifa wrapped her arms around her friend.

* * *

After Aerith had left the Seventh Heaven, she and Denzel had made their way down towards Market Street, where she had set up her new flower shop. Inside, the place still needed a bit of cleaning and tidying up before the place could really start operating properly. There was still painting and furniture that had to be brought, lighting had to be accounted for and bills had to be paid. Aerith kept a keen eye on the space, making sure that everything would be just as she always envisioned it to be.

'And flowers. I can't have a flower shop without some flowers.' She though to to herself. Being so caught up with so many other different things to take care of, it almost made her completely forget her main source of business.

Denzel would typically come along and help Aerith with whatever she needed to get done, whether it was painting or cleaning and then some. The both of them saw it as a way for them to bond closer together and they appreciated the time that they shared. It reminded them of the brief moments that they used to have long before the Sector Seven plate collapsed down. Cloud would occasionally stop in to see how things were going and lend a helping hand if his delivery work schedule allowed. It was times like this that the three of them got to bond closer together, almost like an extended part of family.

Denzel had always seen Cloud as a brotherly figure, a hero in his eyes and someone to look up to. On the other hand, Denzel had seen Aerith as a role model, someone to be respected, almost like a mother. Even after they had first met years ago, Denzel had the firm belief that Aerith would indeed become a good mother one day, if given the chance.

Mutually, the two of them had felt that Aerith had taught the young boy many things and opened up a new side to him, very similar to what she had done with Cloud. Ever since she had met Denzel many years ago, Aerith knew that he was a young, innocent child that was still very naive to the world and yet, very aware of its' dangers. Denzel carried traits that both Cloud and Aerith shared and she picked up on this almost immediately. She knew that she would always protect him at all costs.

When their day was done, Aerith walked Denzel the short distance back to the Seventh Heaven. Upon arrival, it was quite a difference to see how the busy morning had greatly died down. Tifa and Barret were still kept busy by the bar with Marlene lending a hand. Yuffie had a lot to say to Aerith about her apparent "secret admirer" and how much of a fool she made of herself. Even the Turks had gathered to check in on Reno.

Aerith made her way back to her home, spotting Cloud's motorcycle parked outside the house. She smirked to herself, 'Mom always hates how loud that thing is.'

She walked up to the door and stepped inside, throwing off her jacket. She called out, "Hello, I'm home."

"In here, dear!" Her mother called out from the kitchen.

She stepped inside of the kitchen and saw Cloud and Elmyra helping one another in doing the dishes at the kitchen. She smiled widely and thought to herself, 'He's really trying to win her over. I guess it doesn't take much for him.'

Cloud turned back to her and smiled, "How was your day?"

"It was fine. Denzel's doing good. Tifa's going through some rough stuff at the bar, though. We should stop in some time and see if we can lend a hand."

"Will do."

Elmyra caught her daughter's attention. "Oh, here, Aerith. You got some mail today." She presented Aerith with a small envelope.

"Really? I wonder who it's from." She took hold of the envelope and opened it. She turned back to them. "It's from Zack." She began to read the letter out loud.

_Aerith, I hope all is well with you and Cloud! Hopefully, our letters will actually be able to REACH one another this time! Things are going well in Gongaga and my parents are doing fine. How are things in Edge? How is Tifa and the others? I want to come and visit real soon! Don't be a stranger. Have you and Cloudy-boy keep in touch!_

_P.S. I ran into Cissnei. We're dating. Can you believe it? You and Cloud, me and Cissnei, it's crazy how these things work out, right? The good thing is, she won't nag me about some damn flower cart. Take care, Aerith!_

_Zack_

Aerith smiled and let out a small laugh at the last part, before closing and folding the letter. "Well, it looks like he's doing well. Always a lady's man, I see. It was good to hear from him."

Elmyra turned to her daughter, "Oh, that Zack. He used to make me so angry." She turned to Cloud. "I remember Aerith used to write him all these letters like she was some lovesick teenager and he was some great famous celebrity."

Cloud silently turned back to doing the dishes, feeling the jealousy rise within him.

"Mom!" Aerith chastised her mother.

"Well, it was the truth, dear! After he had left on that mission, you became so sad. I was so upset with him."

"Mom, I kept in touch with him because he was important to me. Don't make it sound like I was head over heels about him though. We were never even that serious to begin with. It was nice while it lasted."

Elmyra smiled, "Oh, I know that. You were too young. I guess it's just good to see that he has changed. Or is trying to at least grow up a little." She chuckled.

Aerith spoke up, "Well, I've changed, too."

Elmyra sat down at the table next to Aerith, "I know, dear. You were quite the timid teenager, if I do say so myself."

Cloud turned back to them, "Seriously?" It sounded like the complete opposite of who he knew Aerith to be. He liked the Aerith that he knew, the one that stood before him today.

Aerith nodded and smiled. She knew that her mother was right. She felt very meek and insecure as a young teen living in the slums. "It's the truth."

Elmyra continued, "But look at you now. You're a beautiful, young woman. We're not supposed to know how life works. Many things can change in a short amount of time."

"You're right. Even me." She looked at Cloud. "You, too."

Elmyra turned to Cloud and laughed, "Don't mess with her because she'll give you a run for your money."

Cloud sighed, "Believe me, I know."

Aerith groaned and smiled, "Mom, leave us alone."

Elmyra huffed and crossed her arms, jokingly. "Oh, you two are no fun! Well, I'll be in the living room if you need me." She excused herself and exited the kitchen.

Cloud turned back to doing the dishes, washing the plates and setting them off to the side to dry.

Aerith got up from the table and walked over to the sink, next to Cloud. "Here, let me help." She grabbed a dish towel and began to dry the dishes that he had already washed.

"Thanks."

A short silence passed between the two of them. It wasn't really awkward or unnerving, rather, they were just content with the two of them doing this small, simple chore together in silence.

Aerith, on the other hand, knew that Cloud's mind had been elsewhere. She knew that he was typically more quiet, but not with her. She was going to find out just what was bothering him, whether he liked it or not.

Aerith turned to him, "Cloud, are you okay? You seem a little down." She looked concerned.

"Just fine." He replied simply, a typical response when anything wasn't 'just fine'.

It didn't take a genius to know that something was bothering him. She raised an eyebrow at him, "You sure?"

"Yep." Something had only just recently been bothering Cloud, but he felt a bit embarrassed to talk with Aerith about it. Instead, he averted his gaze from her and looked around the kitchen, at any thing to distract him. His eyes mistakenly fell down onto the letter that Zack had sent her: the source of of what had been bothering him.

Aerith followed the movements of his eyes until they too had fallen onto the letter that she had just received. A tight smile grew across her face. She knew that if Cloud would never voice his concerns for himself, she would gladly lend a hand to give him a helping start.

Cloud's eyes watched her as she walked over to the folded letter and lifted it up to him.

"Is this what's been bothering you?" Aerith smirked.

Cloud lowered his eyes, feeling a bit embarrassed about Aerith picking up on his jealousy, as much as he would try to hide it.

He blushed. "Maybe..."

Aerith sighed and smiled, shaking her head. She had to admit, seeing a jealous Cloud was very cute. "Didn't Zack talk to you about this?"

Cloud sighed and continued washing the dishes, "Well, yeah. He's my best friend. I guess...I can't help feeling a little envious of him, though. You compare me and him and well, I'm just..."

Aerith turned to him and shook her head, a sad and serious expression on her face. "Don't you even start with that, Cloud."

He lowered his head, "I'm sorry."

She turned away from the sink and took hold of his hand.

"He was my first love, Cloud. You know that. He was there for me at a time in my life when, like my mother said, I was insecure and meek. I needed someone like him to bring me out of my shell. Sure, it seemed like the most important thing at the time, but we were so young. It was like an infatuation. We moved past all that, Cloud. You have no reason at all to be jealous of anything." She gave him a weak smile.

Cloud nodded, "Yeah. I just feel a bit better about talking about it, I guess." He scratched his head, nervously.

Aerith accusingly pointed her finger at Cloud with a smile. "Besides, didn't you use to have a crush on Tifa?"

"Oh, come on, that was over ten years ago. I was just a boy, it wasn't anything. That came and went real fast."

"Exactly my point. What's different between me and Zack?" She smiled. "Cloud. It was young love. They were the first people we liked. It was never meant to last longer than what it was. I think in order to find true love, you need to go through that."

"Yeah, you're right." He smiled. "You're always right."

She leaned forward, "You know what else I'm right about? Having a first love paved the way for me to find genuine, true love. You."

At this point, Elmyra, who had been intently eaves-dropping in from the living room, was about to keel over and die from the amount of genuine love and sincerity.

Aerith continued, "When I first met you, it was that semblance to Zack that caught my attention. It bothered me at first, but..."

Cloud nodded, "But I'm different."

Aerith smiled, "Things are different...and I liked everything about you. Things had changed. The more I got to know you, the more I realized how much I do love you. Not Zack or some fake soldier. You don't have to be some brave warrior. You just have to be Cloud Strife and nothing more. He's always been a hero to me."

This was exactly what he needed to hear. A wide smile spread across his face. He believed in every word she had told him, as, for the first time in his life, he had found genuine love and happiness with her.

Aerith brought her arms around his waist. "I found my Promised Land in you."

He smiled down at her and placed a gentle kiss onto her forehead, raising his hand to her face to brush a few of her loose bangs away.

"I found my Promised Land in you." He corrected.

She breathed into his neck, "I love you and that will never change."

"I love you, too." He lowered his lips down to hers, wanting to place a desired kiss down onto her soft, pink lips. He exhaled out, "Aerith..."

"Ah ah ah! What did I tell you two!?"

The two snapped out of their moment, turning their heads to see Elmyra pointing at them from the living room.

Cloud groaned, "Sorry, mom..." 'Damn it!'

Aerith covered her mouth, hiding her smile. "You saw nothing, mother."

"But I heard EVERYTHING!" She taunted.

Aerith laughed and placed her head down onto Cloud's shoulder, hiding her face. "She treats us like we're some little kids sneaking around."

Elmyra called back out, "And I do it like any fantastic mother would! I just want to make sure my daughter's safe." She laughed down the hall.

"Thanks, mom." Aerith muttered with a smile.

Cloud gripped Aerith's waist, holding her closer. He placed his head down on top of hers. "And she says that we're no fun."

She looked up at him and smiled mischievously. She pressed her lips up to his ear and whispered. "She's not looking. Now's my chance."

With that, she wrapped her arms around Cloud's neck, pulling him down closer to her and pressing her lips up against his.

* * *

Along the grassy plains just beyond the town of Kalm, two figures walked along the rolling grasslands. The sun had just set off beyond the horizon.

A deep chill seemed to follow Jenova through the night. As she walked along the grassy plains, the thin blades of grass beneath her seemed to freeze over and chill, dying from the severe frost that covered them. The entire atmosphere beyond her deformed figure seemed to freeze and haze everything.

Jenova turned to her companion, "So, what do we suppose we do once we get there?"

Sephiroth answered, "It'd be highly irresponsible for us to kill the Cetra on the spot." His thick boots trodded against the thin strands of grass, killing the weeds beneath his feet.

"Indeed. We need her." Jenova snickered, "Let's keep a close eye on her until the time is right. We can't let any of them suspect a thing. It'll make their massacre all the more heart-wrenching, all the more deserving for them."

Sephiroth gripped onto his masamune tighter. "I say we have some fun with this."

Jenova turned with an inquisitive look and a sickening grin. "How so?"

"We turn the tables. It'd be all the more interesting to see Cloud be killed in front of her, won't it? She'll be devastated." He let out a small laugh when he thought about the scenario. "She should feel the same despair that he had felt towards her."

Jenova laughed, "Oh, what a shame her despair should be so short-lived. She'll be next right after him."

Sephiroth wickedly smiled, "Indeed, Mother. We kill Cloud, then the Cetra and then the rest of the other idiots." He tossed his long, white hair behind his shoulder. "They'd be hopeless. Once the city is defenseless, we destroy that, as well."

Jenova nodded, "Then, this entire, pitiful world."

"The two of us shall leave this planet together upon its' destruction and with these powers, I will become a rightful god. We shall become all powerful!" Sephiroth sneered, determined.

Jenova turned to him, "Then, we shall move to a new, better world, where history shall repeat itself and we will claim that world, too."

Sephiroth grinned, "They won't expect a thing. The Cetra is the key to everything. With her, all of the pieces will fall into place for us. Things are about to change in this world."

A sudden disturbance from within further along the grasslands interrupted the two. It sounded as though something was roaring just up ahead of them.

Sephiroth unsheathed his masamune and pointed forward, "A fiend. Useless." The white-haired man charged forward.

"Wait." Jenova beckoned him.

Sephiroth turned around, surprised. "What for?"

The two of them waited until the fiend was just within distance, waiting for the creature to approach. When the creature emerged from within the grassy shadows of the dark night, they could see that it was some sort of lizard creature. It sneered at the two of them and viciously flicked out its' tongue. Whatever this being was, it considered the two of them to be a threat and was readying an attack.

Jenova cast out her hand and a blue haze appeared around the creature. It froze in place, unable to move even if it so desperately wanted to. With another movement of her hand, the creature then began to shrink down to size and, growing smaller and smaller, until it fit into the palm of her deformed hand. The creature floated into her grasp, where it then disappeared from sight.

Sephiroth turned to her, "Again? You're starting quite a collection."

"Precisely."

Sephiroth smirked, "And what exactly are you planning with those?"

Jenova outstretched her limb to touch Sephiroth's cheek, "Wait and see, son."

* * *

The rest of the day had gone as usual at the Seventh Heaven. As the evening came, customers slowly started to leave the bar, heading home for the night. Once the last customer had left the bar in its' last operating hours, Tifa went over to the door and locked the place up for the night.

Yuffie began to clean and wipe down all the tables, before counting the amount of tips that she had made throughout the day. Closing the place up at night was always an easy task and one that was done fairly quickly. Marlene and Denzel would hang about and help clean down the tables if they ever got bored.

Barret had been helping out much more around the place in the recent weeks and was emptying out the register and cleaning up the space behind the bar. He'd do anything that would make Tifa's day just a little bit less stressful.

Tifa turned around and thought about the long, stressful day that she had just had. She let out a sigh and walked over to Yuffie. "So, how'd things go with your new admirer?"

Yuffie groaned, but continued counting the gil she had accumulated. "I don't want to talk about it. I was a mess. I probably just lost you a customer."

Tifa just shook her head and laughed, "It's okay."

Yuffie continued, "I found out a few things about him, though. He just recently moved to Edge. He was a stable boy over at the chocobo ranch for a little bit. He seems like a nice guy."

Tifa smiled, "What's his name?"

Yuffie opened her mouth to speak, but thought for a second. "Umm...his name is Furi. It's Furi. It's definitely Furi...or maybe it's Fano."

"Well, it'll at least be a start when you can remember what his name is." Tifa chuckled.

"But look! This is all the gil he tipped me even after I looked like a complete klutz!" She presented Tifa with all the gil that she had already counted. "Obviously I must still be doing something right!"

Tifa nodded, "Good work today, then."

They were interrupted by the sound of footsteps coming from upstairs. Reno emerged at the base of the stairs and entered into the main bar area.

"Yo man, what's good?" Barret nodded towards the red-haired man.

Tifa walked up to him, "Oh good, you're up. How are you feeling?"

Reno shrugged, "O-okay, I guess."

Yuffie chimed in, "It's good to see you up and about."

Reno looked about the place a bit clueless, at a loss of words at what exactly to say to these people. They were so warm and comforting to him and yet, he wasn't really sure how to act around them.

Tifa picked up on this and decided to ease the situation a little. She headed over towards the bar and rummaged underneath the counter a little bit, before emerging with a bottle of liquor.

She winked, "I think I know just what will cheer you up. You always loved your drinks." She took a glass and began to pour the contents of the bottle into it. When she had filled the glass about half-way, she slid the cup over to Reno.

Reno stared down at the drink, somewhat puzzled.

Tifa sighed, "Fine, fine. Here." She took the bottle of liquor and began to pour, filling the glass completely.

Reno shrugged, "Sorry, I'm not really big on drinking."

Yuffie turned around and looked at him, her eyes wide. "What? Since when?"

Tifa agreed, "Yeah, you weren't like that before! You spent the entire month of April drunk inside this place."

Reno only shrugged and muttered, "Sorry, guys." The person that they were talking about seemed completely separate from him.

"It's alright." Tifa sighed, taking the glass and pouring the contents of the cup down the sink. She felt herself becoming frustrated, not even necessarily at Reno, rather, the entire situation in general. She felt like she should say something. 'But what are the right words to say to someone who doesn't even remember who they are?'

Yuffie was far less tactful then Tifa and voiced her concerns on the spot, "What the hell's gotten into you? This is nothing like who you are, Reno."

Reno turned to them and muttered, "How many times do I have to tell you all? My name is NOT Reno!"

Tifa turned around from the bar and slammed her fist down onto the counter. "Then who are you exactly!? Please tell me! I would like to know!"

The dead silence in the room carried throughout. Tifa's sudden outburst caused Marlene and Denzel to both jump. They had never seen an outburst like this from her. Even Barret himself was taken aback from her.

Reno stuttered when he couldn't even think of a thing to say to her.

Tifa's voice rose again, "I know who you are, Reno. You can be lost and confused all you want, but if you don't even try to make the effort, how are you ever going to get better?" She took the bottle of liquor in her hand.

Reno stared at her, still not saying a word to her.

She walked around the bar and stepped towards Reno, taking hold of his hand. "Reno, please..."

Reno reared back and pulled his hand away from her. He was not looking for any sort of comfort, especially from these people. "What the hell's the matter with all of you!? MY NAME IS NOT RENO!"

At this, Tifa snapped. She felt enraged and raised the bottle of liquor, throwing it against the wall, where it smashed into pieces. The sheer force from Tifa's throw nearly caused a hole to appear in the bar's wall.

Everyone in the room stared at Tifa, both frightened and unsure of what to say. Marlene had tears welling up in her eyes and was quite shaken to say the least.

Yuffie rose from the table and quietly ushered Marlene and Denzel upstairs. She whispered, "Come on, guys. Let's go."

Tifa stared at Reno. She felt so upset with him, herself, this entire situation. She felt stressed and overworked. She felt like a great burdened was involuntarily thrust upon her and she was screaming out, but no one would hear her. She felt like she was on the verge of a breakdown.

She muttered, "I-...I'm...sor...I'm s-sorry." She was just barely able to get it out.

Reno looked at her with sadness and concern in his eyes. He turned away from her and decided that it would be best for him to remove himself from the situation. He headed upstairs without another word.

A long silence passed between Tifa and Barret, neither one of them building up the courage to say anything to the other. Barret was still taken by surprise by the friend that he had known for so long.

Tifa walked over to the shattered bottle on the floor and began to clean up the mess that she had met. She turned back over her shoulder and looked at Barret, "I'm sorry for what just happened. I should have acted better around the kids."

"It's alright." Barret huffed out. He grabbed a chair and took a seat next to Tifa. "It's understandable why you're so upset."

She began to pick up the glass pieces, "I'm just tired and overworked. I have too much on my plate."

Barret nodded. His voice was low and full of concern. "Tifa, I'm worried about you. Do you think that...maybe you need a break from all of this?"

Tifa shook her head, "No, I just need to get some sleep."

Barret took hold of her hand, stopping her from cleaning. "Then, why don't you stop and go to sleep?"

Tifa sighed and began to feel fresh tears well up in her eyes. "Because this small chore is the only thing that's keeping me from going crazy."

Barret sighed, "Tifa, you're stronger than this. I know that you are. I've seen it. I wish you could be that person more often."

Tifa felt the tears fall from her eyes, "Everyone keeps telling me that, but I've yet to see it. Why did things have to become like this? It's just too much. I feel like such a failure. It's so humiliating."

Barret shook his head, "No, no it's not."

Tifa exhaled, "I can't be their for my friends or my family, I can barely keep this place open and I can't even get the person that I love to recognize who I am."

Her friend's features softened as he listened to her.

"Everything I do seems to come at some terrible price and I'm not even sure if any of it is even worth it." She went back to cleaning. "So, I just need to fix my life and then I can sleep again."

Barret paused for a moment, before lowering down to the floor next to her.

"Hey." He placed his hand on her cheeks and lifted her head, brushing her hair out of the way.

She stared at him through eyes that were so tired and drained, ones that had seen too much already for a woman so young. Her eyes were brimming with tears.

"I'm not even tired, so why don't I stay up and help you?" He began cleaning up the mess that she had made.

Tifa nodded, "That'd be nice."

Tifa and Barret spent that night talking about many things. It was the support between these two friends that would only build Tifa back up. It was the support of each other that they needed to make it through.

* * *

Aerith was in the shower, washing her body. She lathered the shampoo in her hands, making their way through her long, luscious hair. Her thoughts couldn't help but wander to her discussion with Cloud earlier in the day.

'He has absolutely no reason to be jealous of anyone. I love him.'

When she had picked up on Cloud's jealousy over Zack, she was a bit flattered at first, but more-so disappointed that he had felt this way at all. She didn't want him to feel this way, nor did she think that he should. She would make sure of that.

'Yes, Zack is a very important person to me. He was the first boy I ever liked, but I was completely different then.'

Aerith knew it, too. When she was with Zack, she was younger and it was a "light taste" of first love to her. She was naive to the world, she was insecure of herself and she was afraid of the many dangers that barred her path. She was young and meek. She looked up to Zack as a person that she could rely on and become close with, but she didn't even have the logical understanding of what love even was yet.

'Then, I met you and everything changed.'

She continued to think to herself. By the time she had met Cloud, she was a completely different person. She was stronger both physically and mentally, she knew about the world around her, she was intelligent and outgoing. Heck, she could even keep the Turks spinning in circles for days looking for her. She was daring and wanted adventure beyond her small corner of the slums that she called her home.

'I was a completely different person than when I was with Zack. He even sees that now, when we're great friends. He may have been my first love, but that doesn't change how I feel about you.'

When she had first met Cloud, of course she would admit to herself how much his resemblance to Zack bothered her. Their looks and small mannerisms were very similar, but it was through traveling alongside Cloud that she realized how much he was different than her first love and just how much she did love him. His heart was unlike one she had ever seen.

Cloud might have once been cold and uncaring, but she melted down the walls of defense around his heart and was the only one to break through to him. When he was confused with who he really was, she was the only one who had picked up on this. When he was plagued with guilt, still, Aerith was the only one to reach him and heal him of everything. It was always her.

This was an overwhelming amount of love that she had for him. It wasn't immature or short-lived. This was true, genuine love. She had felt it well up in her heart until it was about ready to burst. It only continued to grow. No matter what happened to her in life, he was always there for her, to be by her side and be the bodyguard that would fight away all of her struggles until they could find a place of eternal happiness.

'I love him. I love everything about him.'

It was true. She genuinely had fallen for Cloud for who he was, not for what he or others wanted him to be. She didn't want a hero, nor did she want someone there to save her from her problems. No, she wanted someone who would genuinely love and care about her. She wanted someone that would win her heart by having to do nothing but give her a small smile and be themselves. She wanted a man that could just be himself. That was Cloud.

They were perfect for one another and complimented each other beautifully. Everyone, even complete strangers could see how the two were made for one another. If others weren't able to see it, their actions definitely made it certain. The two of them had loved one another completely and had found real, genuine happiness with one another. Cloud was more than just another man. He was her friend and lover, her boyfriend, the most important person in her life.

'This is what real love is like.' She thought, as she felt this overwhelming emotion build within her, thinking of the man that she loved. A small smile crept across her face.

She reached for the shower nozzle and turned the water off. She stepped out of the shower and wrapped a white towel around her body, throwing her damp hair over her shoulder. She stepped out of the bathroom and briskly walked towards their room. Once she was inside, she saw Cloud by one the drawers, searching through his clothes. He placed something inside of the drawer, before he tossed off his shirt.

She silently leaned up against the door and shut it with her back. She quietly whispered.

"Hey."

Cloud looked up, somewhat startled. "Aerith! I didn't even hear you come in." His eyes fell down onto the white towel that covered her as he instantly felt his cheeks warm. He got up and walked over to her.

She moved closer to him and placed her hand up against his strong chest. "I know."

She inched closer to him until her face was just a few inches from hers. She heard his breath hitch and felt his heartbeat pounding from within his chest.

"Aerith..." He breathed out, entranced by her. Before he could say another word, her lips captured his in a slow, sweet kiss. Their lips moved as one, creating a perfect rhythm as they opened and closed against one another. He brought his hands to rest on her waist, traveling down to her curves.

Her hands were guided along his chest until they rested onto his shoulder blades. She moaned out into the kiss, as she parted his lips with her tongue. His came to meet hers, as their tongues danced against one another. With each passing second, the passion and the intensity of the kiss grew. Both of them wanting more, both of them wanting each other. This moment felt absolutely perfect to them and nothing would be able to take this away.

Cloud let out a husky grunt as the flower girl before him removed her lips from his and instead started placing small kisses and nibbles down his neck and chest. When she was through teasing with him, she brought her lips back up to match his in another fiery kiss.

Cloud was taken by surprise when she had pulled back and pushed him down onto the bed behind him, so that he was sitting down. He rolled his eyes at her when she let out a small giggle.

She suddenly straightened and felt the heat rise to her cheeks. She lovingly smiled at him, a small glint of lust in her eye. She brought her hands up to the rim of the towel and loosened it, allowing it to fall down to the floor. There, she stood completely naked for only Cloud to see.

Cloud felt his breath hitch, his mouth falling slack, his heart almost beating out of his chest.

She was beautiful. His cheeks were flushed and red, but he was so captivated by her beauty that he didn't care. His eyes wandered from her impressive eyes, to her soft, pink lips that he loved, down to her perfect,rounded breasts, to her slim waist, to her most secret area. Her eyes watched his as they trailed over her body, enjoying the reaction that she had received from him.

To say that he was nervous would be an understatement. He was still very new to these displays of affection and this was the first time he had ever seen a woman naked in front of him. The fact that it was Aerith, whom he considered to be the most beautiful woman he had ever known, only raised those nerves.

Aerith approached Cloud and lifted her legs over his so that she was straddled on top of him, her body pressed up against his. She brought her lips down to claim his in a slow, sensual kiss, one that was filled with love and waiting anticipation. Her hands came up to trail along Cloud's neck, making their way through his thick blonde locks. Cloud's own hands traveled down her back and along her hips, until they rested just underneath her breasts, holding her there.

Aerith let out a soft moan when she felt his covered manhood contact her in-between her thighs. He let out a low groan, as he felt his pants grow tighter still. He felt like he was about to be pushed over the edge and she was going to be brought over with him.

She silenced him with another kiss, her lips soft against his, their bodies pressing warmly against one another. She broke the kiss.

"Take me, Cloud."

Cloud's heart continued to thump through his chest, but it didn't matter to him. He was feeling the most overwhelming love he had ever experienced in his life. He loved her completely. Aerith was the perfect woman for him and this moment, them, it felt so right. This moment was theirs and nothing would be able to take it away.

It was everything they had wanted. It was perfect.

Cloud took hold of her waist and brought her down towards him, their bodies pressing tightly against one another. He smiled as his lips captured hers yet again in another passionate kiss.

* * *

Just beyond the plains outside of Edge, Sephiroth and Jenova trailed along.

Jenova pointed forward, "There it is."

Sephiroth smiled and smirked. He looked beyond the city of Edge, his eyes trailing towards what his mother was pointing to. "Shinra Headquarters. The center of the fallen city of Midgar."

Jenova smiled, "We must act delicately. We wouldn't want to lose out now."

"Oh, on the contrary." Sephiroth smirked, "Now's when things are going to change."


	18. The Promised Land

**Chapter Eighteen - The Promised Land**

Cloud gently stirred the next morning, blinking a few times before he realized he was actually awake. He felt well-rested and relaxed, not finding the motivation to get up out of bed.

He looked down when he felt Aerith's warm breath tickle his neck. Her head was cradled into the nape of his neck and her hands were folded in the middle of his chest. Her bare chest was pressed up against his own strong one, skin against skin. A thick blanket covered their lower half's, their bodies pressed tightly and comfortably against one another, warming each other.

Cloud looked down at her soft facial features with a small smile. She looked so peaceful and beautiful, just like an angel. He brought his hands up and gently ran his fingers along her bare back, admiring her soft and warm features. His hands made their way up to her long hair, delicately running through the locks that cascaded down over her back and along his chest.

He stared at her through sleepy eyes and let out a content sigh.

'I could get used to this.' He thought to himself.

He wanted mornings like this, where he could wake up relaxed, not a care in the world, with Aerith in his arms. There would be no battles to be fought, no missions to be held, just genuine happiness. It was more than just a desire for him, though. He wanted their life to be like this every day.

Unknown to Aerith, he had plans to make sure that this desire of his would be a reality one day soon.

He brought his hands up to brush away a bang from Aerith's face, smiling down at her. He thought, 'When you truly love someone, all you want to do is be with them.'

He thought about what had happened the night before.

* * *

Aerith turned around to him. "Hey, I'm going to jump in the shower really quickly. Wait up for me, okay?"

Cloud smiled and gave a slight nod. "Alright."

She made her way out of their room and walked towards the bathroom, leaving Cloud by himself.

Cloud thought to himself for a few moments. Recently, he had started thinking a lot more of this new life of his, especially Aerith's part in it. While he was undoubtedly happy, that didn't stop him from thinking about his future, what his next step was. Just the thought of the future, all of what was unknown and uncertain, it both made him nervous and excited.

There was something that he had wanted to discuss with Elmyra, but he never found what he considered to be the right time. On the other hand, finding the right words that he wanted to say to Elmyra was a completely different obstacle. He felt his nerves rise and his heart beat increase. His hands felt clammy and the collar of his vest started to make him feel uncomfortable. The more he thought about what he wanted to tell her, the more he knew that it had to be done as soon possible. If not, he wouldn't be able to live like this for much longer.

He made his way out of the room and made his way down the stairs, where Elmyra was sitting on one of the couch's in the living room, contentedly flipping through the pages of a book.

She noticed Cloud's arrival. "I thought you'd be asleep by now"

He shrugged and scratched the back of his head. "Sorry."

Elmyra let out a small giggle. She had grown used to this typical response from Cloud and could almost anticipate whenever he was going to say it. When she looked back up from her book again, she noticed Cloud's appearance. He looked a bit stressed, his palms and forehead sweaty, almost as if anxiety was taking over. It was very noticeable, actually.

She set her book down. "Cloud, are you alright, dear? You look as white as a ghost."

Before he knew it, there would be no running or hiding from this situation. He knew that by the end of the night, he would have that "conversation" with Elmyra, even if she had to force it out of him. When he tried to speak up, all that emerged were a mess of incoherent vocalizations.

He stuttered, "Ehrm...I, well, I...uhmm..."

Elmyra also knew that this was Cloud's usual response when he wanted to talk about something that had been weighing down on his mind, but just couldn't find the words to express it.

She patted the couch next to her, instructing him to take a seat. "You know you can tell me anything, Cloud."

He took a seat down next to Elmyra and continued to stare at her, his mouth opening and closing a few times, not quite ready to speak yet. His hands fidgeted with his shirt, as he looked down and away from her.

She placed a hand on his shoulder, "What is it, dear? What's the matter?"

He slurred out, "I-I wanted to talk to you about Aerith." He managed to say in one breath.

Her curiosity was then piqued. She raised an eyebrow at him, "Oh, is something wrong?"

Cloud quickly countered, "No! No, of course not. I'm just...I...well..."

When he started to beat around the bush again, not getting anywhere with what he wanted to say, Elmyra knew that he would need a little push. Luckily for him, she would gladly oblige.

She leaned forward, a trait that Cloud had recognized Aerith doing quite a bit. She spoke, "Well, if nothing is wrong, than what are you so worried about? Talk to me, Cloud. What is it?"

Just like her daughter had always done, Elmyra was able to get Cloud to open up and talk to her, even if it meant having to slowly unravel him until he revealed all of the mysteries that swam through his mind. Cloud felt his nerves rise, but knew that if this was what he truly wanted, he needed to take steps. It wouldn't just happen by itself.

"I want to ask Aerith to marry me."

Elmyra raised a hand to her chest and felt a warmth run through her when she heard Cloud's words. Her emerald eyes slightly widened, her voice filled with slight surprise. "Oh..."

To be quite honest, Elmyra wasn't too surprised. She knew that this moment would come sooner or later and was just waiting for Cloud to make his move.

Cloud stared at her almost as if he was a child and all of his biggest secrets had just been let out. "Is-is that alright?"

Elmyra tried to suppress a small laugh when Cloud spoke. It almost sounded like he was on the verge of tears! She gave him a genuine smile and a nod. "Yes, Cloud."

Cloud's eyes widened a bit, as he lowly replied. "You're not upset?"

Elmyra laughed now, "Why would I have any reason to be upset?"

"She's your only daughter. I don't want to feel like I'm taking her away from you."

Elmyra looked at him with a glance that told him that he was about to get scolded. "Cloud, stop. Yes, I love her. She will always be my daughter, but I can't keep her here forever. You know that better than anyone. She'll do what she wants to do, regardless of what anyone says. She follows her heart."

Cloud nodded.

Elmyra placed a hand on his shoulder, "Cloud, when you truly love someone, all you want to do is be with them. You never stop searching for them until you're with them again. I know the feeling, too."

He concluded, "Your husband."

She nodded and continued, "Cloud, Aerith isn't losing a mother, she's gaining a wonderful husband. When a parent really loves their child, they always want to do what it best for them... and I wouldn't have picked a more suitable man for my daughter."

Cloud smiled, "Thank you, Elmyra. I know that my own mother would have loved Aerith, too. She always told me that I should find a woman like Aerith. I just didn't think they existed." He let out a small chuckle.

She nodded, feeling herself start to become overwhelmed with emotion when tears begin to well up within her eyes, "I mean it though, Cloud. When the two of you are together, you are both so happy. I want every day to be like that for the two of you."

When Cloud noticed the tears welling up in Elmyra's eyes, he tried to console her. "Elmyra..."

She held back, not allowing any of her tears to spill over. She gave another smile to Cloud, fighting back the tears. She took Cloud's hands in her own.

Elmyra took hold of the silver ring around one of her fingers and slipped it off, presenting it in front of him.

"Cloud, I want you to give this to Aerith. This is the ring my husband gave me when we married."

Cloud looked at the ring in her hand and then back up at her, surprised. "Oh, Elmyra. No, I-I can't take this. That is-"

"Love will always follow this ring, Cloud. I had it with my husband and I've had it as Aerith's mother. Now, it will be Aerith's. Take it."

"Elmyra..."

She placed the ring in Cloud's hands and stared at him, tears now falling down her face. She closed his fingers around the ring.

"Take it Cloud and I'll know that the two of you will find love and happiness. Can you promise me that you will?"

Cloud felt himself overcome with emotion. "I can, Elmyra."

Elmyra brought her hands to wrap around Cloud, pulling him into a tight embrace. Her tears of real happiness and love trailed down her cheeks. She placed a light kiss on Cloud's cheek.

"Thank you, Cloud." She rose up from the couch and made her way back into the kitchen, the overwhelming feelings she had for her daughter rising in her heart.

Cloud sat there for a moment, not being able to believe what had just happened. He was really going to ask Aerith to marry him. It seemed like an unrealistic dream that would soon become a reality. He stared down at the ring in his hand, a small smile slowly spreading across his face.

He made his way out of the living room and walked up the stairs, leading back to his room. When he was inside, he quickly walked over to one of his drawers and opened it. With a small smile on his face, he placed the metal ring inside and hid it beneath his clothes. He would ask her when the moment was right. There were so many new possibilities ahead of him with Aerith now and he was going to make the most out of them.

He tossed off his shirt and placed it in the drawer.

"Hey." A voice called out from behind him.

Cloud looked up, somewhat startled. "Aerith! I didn't even hear you come in." His eyes fell down onto the white towel that covered her as he instantly felt his cheeks warm. He got up and walked over to her.

She moved closer to him and placed her hand up against his strong chest. "I know." She inched closer to him until her face was just a few inches from hers.

* * *

When Cloud finished recalling the discussion that he and Elmyra had the night before, he couldn't help but smile as he stared down at Aerith peacefully asleep in his arms. When Cloud let his fingers intertwine through her long strands of hair, she let out a soft sigh of content.

Cloud knew that he wanted her more than anything. He knew that she would be in his heart for eternity and wanted to be with her more than anything, to be married and have a real family together. He wanted Aerith to be by his side, always.

He brought his lips down and placed a soft, tender kiss on her forehead.

He whispered.

"Soon."

* * *

A few more days had passed and everyone was continuing on with their lives.

The early afternoon at the Seventh Heaven proved to be a rather slow morning for Tifa, which she was actually very grateful about for a change. Only the occasional customer would come in to order a plate of food or a drink before they made their way back out. Barret was actually doing the most work out of the past couple of days, allowing Tifa small moments for herself just to escape from the busy work schedule and the burden of having to take care of Reno. Barret still gave Tifa time for herself so that she wouldn't let her mind go completely crazy.

However, Tifa did not allow him to do it frequently. Although work only added more onto her plate, it also kept her mind off of other matters.

Behind the counter, Tifa and Yuffie were going through some of the cabinets of the various alcohols and wines. Vincent was sitting at the bar, along with Elena and Tseng. Barret was at one of the tables with Marlene. Behind the bar, a single radio played a broadcast, the noisy, fuzzy sound from the box sounding a bit deafening when the radio was unable to pick up a decent frequency.

"The city is on the lookout as more monsters continue to roam throughout Edge. It it uncertain why the amount of creatures has increased within the city recently, but we are doing our best to gather information regarding the situation. When heading into the city, be informed and be aware. Continuing details will follow." The radio broadcast was then cut out as a commercial came on.

Yuffie sighed and rolled her eyes, "Just great."

Marlene turned to her father, concern in her voice. "Daddy, are the monsters going to come get me?"

"Don't worry, Marlene. You got nothin' to be afraid of. Daddy'll keep you safe."

Elena interrupted, as if the answer to the broadcast was so obvious. "The reason why there are so many monsters is because the army and security around the city have been lacking. I barely see a patrol on the streets anymore. Then again, when have we ever been able to rely on them to keep the city safe?"

Tseng added in, "Now that you mention it, I haven't seen any patrols at all."

Yuffie looked up at the two of them, "That's strange. Typically when a monster shows up anywhere within the city, a guard is usually there to take it out in a second."

"Apparently that's not the case anymore. Who knows where Edge's government is using the money nowadays." Tseng turned to Vincent, who gave him a small nod.

Elena added, "Well, it's definitely not on the security and safety of the citizens just by looking at the way things are now. I don't understand it."

Tifa stepped out from behind the bar and walked over towards one of the windows at the front. 'Maybe that's why the bar seems less busy?' She thought to herself.

From outside of the window, she could just barely make out a fiend prowling down the street, before disappearing down one of the alleys at the far end of the street corner. It seemed unusual to see such a dangerous looking creature trailing down the street in broad daylight. Nobody even seemed to pay it any mind or even give the creature any notice that it was there at all.

"What's happening out there?" Tifa questioned out loud.

While the appearance of the monsters hadn't really affected Tifa's business too much, she couldn't help but wonder about the safety of the rest of the city. Knowing that monsters were prowling about, it would make people more intimidated to head out alone. People would travel less and would always carry the assumption that they would be attacked. It was only more for the bartender to worry about.

Tifa silently excused herself and made her way up the stairs towards Reno's room. Once at the door, she peeked inside to see that he was awake before that she decided to take it upon herself to enter in.

It was the first time that she had spoken to him since their blow-out a few days before. She figured that it would most likely be best for the two of them if they just had some time to cool off. She was mad at so many things the other day, Reno, work, her constant struggle just to keep her own life in order and still care about everyone else's. She had every right to be upset.

That day, Tifa felt like she had hit the absolute bottom and could only build herself and her life back up now.

"Hey." Tifa silently stepped into the room.

Reno looked up at her. "Hey...Tifa."

She smiled lightly. "You remembered this time?"

"Yeah, after the other day, I don't think I'll be forgetting you again anytime soon." He replied lowly.

Tifa grimaced, "Yeah, I'm sorry about that. I shouldn't have reacted the way I did."

He shook his head and gestured, "No, it's alright. I was stupid. I was asking for it, I guess."

Tifa sat down on the bed next to him. "We were both wrong."

Meanwhile, Yuffie had slowly been creeping up the stairs when she heard the conversation between the two of them from down the hall. She slowly walked up towards the doorway, hiding in the shadows of the hall, unsuspected by the two.

"How are you feeling now?" Tifa questioned.

Reno shrugged, "A bit better. Some things are slowly starting to come back to me. I remember...working for some big company? Is that right?"

Tifa nodded, "Mhm. Shinra."

Reno nodded, "And that bald guy, we were like partners in crime. Best friends, right?"

She smiled, "Rude."

Reno laughed, "Hey, hey! Not so fast! I didn't mean it like that! I was just-"

Tifa let out a small laugh. "No, that's his name."

A dumb-founded look fell across Reno's face. "Oh."

After this small exchange, Tifa felt a bit lighter. In that brief moment, she saw a piece of the old Reno, the Reno that she remembered still there. It might have been hard to spot, it only lasted for a second, but Tifa was sure. The old Reno was still hidden away within this man. It would just take some time for him to be revealed.

"I remember him and Elena. I remember flying a...sort of ship through the sky."

"That was the Highwind. It's our friend Cid's pride and joy. Only second to his new baby." Tifa informed him. "Anything else?"

Reno thought for a second. "I remember you."

Tifa was caught off-guard for a second and stared at him. He wasn't sure if he meant it or if he was merely telling her just to make her a little bit happier and less worried.

He continued, "You're really supportive and caring, but you've got a toughness in you. A few too many concerns and worries, too."

"That sounds about right." She concluded. "So, you can remember all these different types of things and yet, you can't exactly remember that you are supposed to be Reno?" She replied with a small smirk.

Reno smiled, "Yep. I guess I'm just obnoxious like that."

Tifa got up from the bed and made her way over towards the door. "Well, don't keep it up for too much longer. I might have to knock some sense into you if you do."

"Mmm, who says I won't enjoy that?" The words escaped Reno's lips before he even had the chance to catch himself. 'What was that?'

By the look on his face, Tifa knew that he hadn't exactly meant to say that aloud, but more surprisingly, he wasn't taking it back, either. It was just another aspect of that original Reno that she had known that was starting to re-emerge. If she was able to continue bringing Reno's memories out of him, returning him back to his original state, she would continue to remain by his side until he was better again.

Tifa smiled back at him, "Well, I'll let it slide this time, but watch yourself, mister."

When Yuffie had heard Tifa come closer to the door, she quickly made her way down the hallway and hid inside of her room. She heard Tifa exit and made her way back downstairs to the bar. She quietly crept back over to the door and snuck inside, shutting the door behind her.

As soon as the door had closed behind her, Reno's head snapped up at the sudden noise. "Ehm...Yuffie? What are you-"

"You listen to me, buster!" Yuffie accusingly pointed at Reno.

"Wait, what!? What did I do wrong this time?" Reno threw his hands up in defense.

"Nothing. I just wanted to make an entrance."

Reno stared at her unbelievably and scoffed, "Okay, then. What can I help you with?"

Yuffie sat down on the bed next to him. "I know that you're going through a hard time. I can't say I exactly know what you're going through, but a lot of us are there to help you."

Reno was confused at what she was getting at. "And?"

"And...I think you know exactly what I mean." Yuffie continued, "You should show a little more appreciation for the people that are going out of their way to make you feel comfortable. Specifically, Tifa."

"Oh." It dawned on Reno, then. He hadn't been awful to Tifa, but he wasn't very appreciative of everything that she had done for him, either. He was kept constantly pre-occupied with his own concerns and struggles that he never really took into account everything that Tifa had done for him.

Yuffie continued, "She looks after you every day, she makes sure you're fed, she brought you to live in the Seventh Heaven to get better and she's always up here checking in on you. That's a lot that she's doing there for you, buddy. Don't let Tifa fool you. She could only keep it up for so long. Heck, she even threw me outta this place after a little while."

He sighed and lowered his head, "You're right. I...don't even think I ever thanked her for anything that she's done for me."

Yuffie smiled. "You haven't."

Reno looked back at her, anger and shock showing on his face.

She shrugged in response. "Well, you haven't! You've sort of been acting like an ass, actually. More than the usual Reno would be, for that matter."

He felt surprised. "Yuffie..."

She threw her hands up, "Hey, I'm just calling it like I see it! Since I am the best and the realest friend that you have...", she let out a small laugh, "I'm not afraid to call you out."

Reno sighed, "I've been that bad, huh?"

Yuffie didn't answer him directly, but instead just smiled and nodded.

He let out a groan, "So, what do I do? How do I fix this?"

Yuffie smiled, "Just be Reno."

The advice seemed simple enough, but still too complicated for Reno to fully understand. "Just be Reno? How do I do that? Up until a couple of days ago, I didn't even know my name WAS Reno."

Yuffie got up from the bed, "Well, you still ARE Reno, even if you don't fully believe it yourself yet. You just gotta be that guy that Tifa knows that you are and everything will work itself out. Tifa believes in you. Why can't you?"

Yuffie got herself up off the bed and silently gave herself a pat on the back. She always felt good about giving advice, especially when it sounded so profound. She figured that the hardships that she had faced and her many talks with Aerith had instilled this new sense of wisdom within her. Though, it still felt a bit strange to be the one giving advice when she had always been the one looking for it.

She looked back at him with a smile. "If you ever need help with finding out who the real Reno is, you just gotta ask us and we'll definitely let you know."

Reno gave her a small smile.

She continued, "Now, I would love to continue to try and persuade you to lift up your spirits and fix your messed up head, but I have more important things to attend to! I have a date tonight! Ta-ta!" She walked out of the room.

Reno sat there in silence, pondering over what the young ninja had just told him.

"Just be Reno..."

* * *

Cloud had picked up Denzel from Aerith's flower shop and brought him along with him throughout the day to run some deliveries. It was a fun way for Denzel to get out and see more of the city. What was better was that he got to spend more time with Cloud. While he still had been living at the Seventh Heaven and was being looked after by Tifa, most of his days were spent with Cloud and Aerith. It was like they were one big family, something that all of them had been deprived of.

Cloud mounted Fenrir, while Denzel hopped onto the back and gripped onto Cloud's waist.

"When can I get one of these?" Denzel questioned.

"I think a buggy would suit you better." Cloud smirked when he heard Denzel's exasperated groan.

It was funny. Every time Cloud had given Denzel the chance to ride on the motorcycle, the young boy would always ask the same question. Cloud would always respond with numerous excuses, trying to persuade Denzel. The young boy looked up to Cloud like a father figure and saw the man as being a true hero. Denzel had many aspirations, but the biggest of them all was that he would one day grow up to be just like Cloud.

Cloud knew this, too. He knew that he was probably the most important role model that Denzel had ever had and if he could instill even just a small part of himself, if he could teach the young boy something important in life, his job as a role model and hero would be fulfilled.

Cloud sped down the street and made his way towards the far side of the city, where his first delivery was to be made. At the back of the motorcycle, there was a small plate with straps that held down all of the cargo that Cloud would transport from place to place. Denzel always had the unnerving feeling that the straps would suddenly break, causing the cargo to go flying everywhere. The concerned boy would sporadically look over his shoulder to check that everything would still be in order.

When Cloud had dropped off the packages at his first stop, they made their way back towards the center of the city, to complete a few more delivery requests. It wasn't long before they came across their second stop of the day, an old weapon shop located in the heart of the city.

Cloud hopped off of Fenrir and went to retrieve the cargo from the back. "You wait out here. It'll just be a sec."

Denzel nodded and watched Cloud walk off into the shop.

While Denzel was kept outside of the store, he rested his chin in the palm of his hands, feeling boredom take over. He looked around trying to find anything to occupy his attention. A few more packages to deliver. Materia shop next to the weapon shop. Empty street. Not much to look at.

Cloud emerged from within the shop a few moments later. "Alright, that's been taken care of."

Cloud raised his leg over the motorcycle and got on. However, as he did so, he felt something slip from his pocket and a small clanging was heard on the sidewalk.

Cloud quickly looked down. "Damn." He hastily got off of Fenrir and went to retrieve the small titanium ring that had fallen front his pocket, catching Denzel's attention.

The young boy raised an eyebrow and questioned Cloud coyly. "What's that?"

Cloud closed his hand around the ring. "What?" He sounded so innocent and unknowing.

Denzel shot Cloud a look that told him, although he may have only been a child, he was certainly not one to be fooled. "The ring in your hand?"

"Oh." Cloud opened his hand and revealed the ring, as if all of his biggest secrets had just been revealed. "This."

A small smile grew across Denzel's face. "Is that for Aerith? Are you-"

"Yeah." Cloud brushed his hand through Denzel's messy brown locks. "I'm going to ask her to marry me."

Denzel's eyes widened. "Really? Wow! You must really love her."

Cloud crouched down next to Denzel, so that he was eye level with him. "Well, yeah, of course I do. I want to be her husband."

Denzel smiled back at Cloud. "I never really thought I'd see this side of you, Cloud. You know, about love and all."

Cloud reassured him, "I know it might sound a bit strange coming from me...but love, it can be pretty hard to come across. It doesn't exactly fall out of the sky. When you find the thing that you hold dear, the thing that you're fighting for, don't lose sight of it. Cherish it when you still have it and let them know that they're cherished. Can you promise me that you'll do that?"

Denzel nodded. "I promise."

Denzel felt enlightened by Cloud. In fact, it was from this conversation that the young boy recalled a similar exchange that he had with Aerith, back after they first met. While he was helping tend to her flowers back at her old house in Midgar, Aerith spoke to him about finding love and keeping what was important close to him. At that time, he never realized that these two people that had talked to him about love and happiness, their lives would lead them to one another and that their destinies would become intertwined.

A small smirk appeared on Cloud's face. "Denzel, can you keep a secret?

Denzel nodded, but a mischievous glint appeared in his eyes. "Yep, I can keep anyone's secret."

Cloud's smirk grew into a small smile. "You have to make sure that you don't speak a word of this to anyone until the time comes. Especially Aerith."

"My lips are sealed." Denzel quietly brought his finger to rest against his lips. "Although, I do wonder what she'll say. What is she says no?"

The idea of that struck both fear and anxiety into Cloud's heart. He didn't even want to think about a rejection! Though, he did have to admit, it could be a possibility. He just hoped it was a very wrong possibility!

Cloud groaned and lowered his head, "Oh, I don't even want to think about that. I'll become a bigger mess than I already am..."

Denzel tugged on one of Cloud's spikes. "Don't worry about it, I was just trying to persuade you to ask her sooner like Elmyra told me to. We both know Aerith. I'm sure you'll be happy with her response."

"Let's hope so." Cloud looked back up when he fully registered Denzel's words. "Wait, what do you mean 'like Elmyra told you to'?"

Denzel's eyes widened, as if he had just been caught red-handed. "Uhm...erm..."

"Denzel, what did Elmyra ask you? Tell me!" Cloud responded with a small chuckle.

"Sorry, Cloud." Denzel brought his finger up to his lips. "My lips are sealed. Can't give away anyone's secret, INCLUDING yours."

Cloud got up and shook his head, "Well, okay then. I suppose I should ask her sooner rather than later if I really do want to know what she'll say..."

"Mhm, so what are you waiting for?" Denzel persuaded.

Cloud looked down at him, "You know what? The rest of the deliveries can wait. We're taking you back to the Seventh Heaven!" Cloud hopped onto Fenrir and brought Denzel up with him.

"And then what?"

Cloud looked back at him. "I'll be going to a place of eternal happiness. The Promised Land."

* * *

Aerith parked the buggy at the corner of Market Street and took a brief glimpse down the street. The street was located right in the bustling heart of Edge and was always crowded with people, enjoying the city's many shops and restaurants. It was unlike many of the outer streets of the city, which were typically very plain and far less traveled. Aerith was lucky herself to find such a convenient spot right in the city.

She stepped out of the buggy and opened the car, taking out a few bouquets of colorful flowers with her. She had often taken trips to the flower fields that she and Cloud often visited or to her old church in Midgar, where she would collect a bountiful amount of flowers. It occurred to her that she couldn't exactly open a flower shop without the FLOWERS, so she slowly started her own collection of various different carnations. While the shop had only just opened, it proved to be very popular with the citizens of Edge.

She began the short walk down the side walk towards her shop, unaware of the two that were staring down at her from the top of one the street buildings.

"You do realize how easy it would be to put an end to all of this right?"

Sephiroth turned to his mother, "Indeed, but where's the fun in that?"

Jenova berated him, "This isn't supposed to be fun. We have important matters to attend to. How much longer must we wait until we take care of her?"

Sephiroth smirked, "You massacred her entire race. Is revenge really that important to you?"

"The sooner the Cetra is out of the picture, the sooner this world will be gone, Cloud included. Isn't that incentive enough?"

"Yes, but not just yet. Why rush our plans to tear apart the two idiots and destroy the world?"

Jenova scowled, "You know better than anyone, waiting will prove nothing. She is this world's savior. You can kill her now!"

"Don't tell me what I can and can't do." Sephiroth unexpectedly snapped at his mother.

Jenova reared back from his sudden words.

"We will get exactly what we want in time." Sephiroth concluded.

Jenova turned to him, curious. She eyed him with suspicious intent. "So, what do we now?"

"We report back to the Headquarters and check in on the prisoners. Then, we'll deal with the Cetra."

Aerith continued her way down the street and was greeted by two women standing at the entrance of the flower shop. One of them was a black-haired woman wearing a long blue dress, while the other was a short-haired brunette in a white and purple dress.

"I'm so sorry I'm late! You must be Ms. Heartilly, correct?" Aerith extended her hand out to meet the black-haired woman.

The woman nodded and pointed to her friend, "Yes, and this is my friend, Yuna."

"It's nice to meet the two of you." Aerith shook their hands. "I have your order waiting inside. Come in." She brought her keys out from her purse and opened the shop, leading the two women inside.

"Wow, this is a really lovely place. You don't get to see many flowers in the city. I could see this place becoming very popular really quickly." Yuna remarked and admired the many different flowers that were scattered across numerous shelves and counters in the shop.

Aerith smiled, "Thanks. You're two of my very first customers, though." She went to retrieve one of the bouquets on the shelf. "Here you go, Miss Heartilly. A bouquet of eight garden roses."

"They look beautiful. Thank you, Aerith!" The woman exclaimed.

"Are they for anyone special?" Aerith questioned with a small, inquisitive smile.

Rinoa replied, coyly. "Well, maybe..."

Yuna interrupted, "Rinoa, please. You're head over heels with that brooding, moody soldier. We all know it!"

Aerith smiled, "Well, that sounds familiar."

Rinoa chastised her friend, "Yuna! Don't mind her. He's just a soldier in Edge's military armada. I just wanted to do something special for him, but...I don't think he even knows that I exist yet."

"Well, hang in there. I was once in the same position as you." Aerith encouraged, "It might take some time, but things could turn out wonderfully. Don't give up."

"Thank you, Aerith." Rinoa smiled. "Well, we should be heading out."

Yuna smiled, "I'm sure we'll be seeing you again, though."

"It's always great to meet new friends within the city. Until next time, ladies." Aerith smiled and waved as the two women excused themselves from the store.

Aerith took a glance around the store and began to straighten some of the different flowers out. She took hold of the few bouquets that she had brought from outside and placed them with the others. She trimmed and prepared the flowers accordingly, displaying the wide selection of colors and types throughout the store. It was a vibrant display compared to the surrounding shops in the city.

Flowers were something that she loved. They were bright, vibrant and beautiful. To anyone who had known Aerith personally, they would say that this occupation would be perfect for her. Much like the flowers she sold, Aerith was just as bright, vibrant and beautiful. She wanted to fill the entire city with flowers, hoping they would brighten and beautify the city. If the purchase of a single flower could bring about a small smile on someone's face, she would be the one to sell it.

She took another look around the store. 'Could use a few more. Maybe another trip to the fields?'

She always enjoyed taking her trips out to the beautiful flower fields. It was her Promised Land, a place of endless and eternal happiness. Even after her death, she would return to meet Cloud there, where the two of them would talk for hours. It was a place made just for the two of them, a place where they could still be together. It was a world made just for the two of them; a place of serenity and happiness. Although she knew that the beautiful fields of flowers were her land of eternal happiness, she knew that her true Promised Land was with Cloud.

From behind her, she heard the bell at the top of the door ring. Before she could turn around to greet the customer, she was seized by the shoulders and a gloved hand covered her mouth.

Her eyes widened, as she tried screaming, but the noise was muffled. Surely, no one would have been able to hear her from outside. When she had felt the stranger's lips brush against her neck, she tried pulling away from him, attempting to kick him with the back of her boot. Luckily, she was able to break away from the stranger's hold and raised her hand, ready to strike the stranger that had just assaulted her.

She turned around, her fist raised. "Cloud?!"

"Hi." Cloud smiled and slightly flinched when he thought Aerith was about to strike him.

"I didn't know it was you! You had no idea how much you scared me!"

"Oh, by the look on your face, I think I do." He smiled smugly, before placing a light kiss on her forehead.

She smiled and looked up at him. "How was work? All the deliveries done for the day?"

"Yeah, it wasn't too bad. Just a few deliveries, spent some time with Denzel, took out a few monsters, you know, the usual stuff." He smiled.

"You know, I sort of miss it, actually."

He looked at her perplexed. "What?"

She shrugged, "I don't know. The adventures, seeing the world. It was a really a lot of fun."

He raised an eyebrow, "Right, because you think being chased down by monsters that attempt to kill us multiple times is fun?"

She paused for a moment, a small grin forming on her face. She answered, conclusively. "Yes." She let out a laugh. "Is that so wrong?"

He shook his head. "How about this? One day, when we're ready, we'll leave Edge. We'll get out and travel the world, we'll have our own adventures. We'll do everything that we always wanted to do."

She smiled and leaned forward. She whispered, "I like the sound of that. This time, it'll be an adventure for just the two of us."

He nodded and smiled, "Until then, pack up your things and close up shop. I have an adventure in mind right now."

Aerith tilted her head and looked at him, suspiciously. "What is it?"

He brought his finger up to her lips. "Nope, it's a surprise. You'll find out soon enough." He walked over towards the door and opened it. "Come on, let's go."

Aerith sighed and rolled her eyes, knowing that the only way that she would ever be able to find out what Cloud was talking about was if she was to play along with him. Sometimes, he could be just as stubborn as she was and she actually liked this about him. She never knew quite what to expect from him and she found that intriguing.

She took hold of her keys and closed up the shop. She smiled to herself. 'I can only imagine what's going on in that spiky head of his.'

She stepped outside of the shop and walked towards Cloud's motorcycle. He waited for her, extending out his hand and helping her up onto the back of the motorcycle's seat. When she was onboard, he got up onto the front of the seat and turned on Fenrir's ignition.

Aerith smiled to herself, knowing how much Cloud adored his motorcycle, even when her own mother couldn't stand it. She recalled the many scenarios that her mother had talked to her about Cloud's motorcycle being destroyed in a "tragic accident". She tried her best to suppress a small giggle from escaping.

Cloud looked over his shoulder with a small smirk. "Hold on tight."

She wrapped her arms around his waist, squeezing tightly. She rested her head onto his back, wanting to enjoy the ride, her head still wondering what exactly it is that they were doing. Not too long after, the motorcycle was making its' way down the city streets of Edge and flying quickly through the city. It wasn't too long before they were nearing the outskirts of the city. When they neared the exit of the city and the grasslands that surrounded Edge, it only caused Aerith's curiosity to heighten.

"Cloud, where exactly are we going?"

"I told you. You'll just have to wait and see." He looked at her from the mirror at the front of the motorcycle.

She nuzzled her head into his back comfortably. "You can't even give me a small hint?

He smirked, "Nope."

She let out a fake, disappointed sigh. "Fine, but this better be good!"

A small smile grew on Cloud's face. He had to admit that playing with Aerith like this was pretty entertaining to him. She had done it to him quite a bit, so now that the tables had been turned, he understood why she did it to him. The reaction he had received from her was very enjoyable.

The sun had already started to set beyond the mountains of Midgar, the night sky quickly approaching.

Soon, the two of them began to pull up towards the entrance of Midgar, approaching the large open gates to the dormant city. It was rare that anyone would ever come here nowadays. The city was now essentially just a former shadow of itself, left alone and untouched. Everyone that had once lived in Midgar had moved over to Edge or to other parts of the world. Cloud steered the motorcycle into the gates and stopped in the slums just in the outskirts of the city.

Upon returning, Aerith realized just how little she missed of her former home. Sure, there were some small things such as her old house or the church, but for the most part, there was very little that she found endearing about the slums, both when she lived there and now.

She was snapped out of her thoughts when Cloud stopped Fenrir right in front of the church and turned back to her. "We're here."

The church was like a second home to Aerith. She spent many of her young teenage days here, caring for the flowers that bloomed within. The church was warm and comforting to Aerith, even though it had essentially been falling apart. She felt like she grew up within the old church, like it was a sort of cradle that nurtured her and offered her a safe haven amidst the gloomy, dangerous streets of the city.

It was there where she had also met Zack for the first time and where, years later, she would reunite with Cloud again. Even after she had returned to the Lifestream, it was where she met and returned to Cloud again after she had healed him of his Geostigma. The church continued to bring the two of them together. It was where everything started for the two of them.

She smiled at him, "So, what are we doing here?"

"Just thought we should pay the place a visit." He approached the tall wooden doors of the church and pushed them open, leading Aerith inside.

Inside, the church was slightly dark and cold. The ancient pillars lined the church in rows, supporting the dilapidated ceiling. There was a certain old, but pleasant smell that traveled throughout the church. Just up ahead, the flower patch just by the altar of the church was slightly over-flooded with water, the wooden board of the floor slightly broken apart.

Aerith sighed and smiled, "The place is just as I remember it. Well, for the most part." She continued to walk down the main aisle, tracing her fingers along one of the tall ancient pillars. Even in the vast darkness of the church, she could walk through the church with ease, remembering every detail of the place so incredibly vividly.

Cloud looked at her as she walked down the aisle, a small smile forming on his face. The church itself was not just a place to him, it completely symbolized Aerith. He vividly remembered the day that they had met here for a second time. He remembered how beautiful, kind and considerate she was. He couldn't get her out of his head, nor did he want to. While he knew that the church was Aerith's, he couldn't help but think of it as "his place", as well.

When he was plagued with Geostigma, he took solitude in comfort in the church. It was quiet and peaceful, away from everything, but he also felt closer to Aerith there. If he was going to die then, he wanted to be in a close where he could feel closest to Aerith. It made the pain all the more bearable.

He spoke out loud. "This is my Promised Land."

She turned back to him and smiled.

"I feel like I never had to search for it at all. I knew that it was here all along, with you. This place, everything about it, made me think of you. It's more than just this place though, Aerith. I found you again here. My Promised Land is you." He blushed and scratched the back of his head.

She felt touched by him and covered her heart with one of her hands. Even now, she felt her heartbeat increase. She placed a hand on his cheek. "Cloud..."

He boyishly grinned and shook his head away, feeling embarrassed.

She leaned up and placed a small kiss on his cheek, before turning her back to him. She glanced up towards the ceiling, spotting the large, open hole that was shattered through the ceiling. Through the broken roof, she could make out the sky, the bright stars twinkling in the night.

She let out a small sigh. "The night sky is so beautiful tonight. I had never seen so many stars above this city before."

From behind him, Cloud's spoke, his voice echoing throughout the old sanctum. "Cloud's star and Aerith's star. They show a great future together." He spoke aloud, remembering Cait Sith's fortune.

Aerith turned back to him, her eyebrows raised. "You remembered."

He chuckled slightly, "Of course I did. How could I forget that? It gave me hope that I'd be able to be with you one day."

She turned back and looked up towards the sky. "We're together now, that's what matters. I hoped that Cait Sith's fortune would be true."

"Well, there's no need to hope for it much longer."

"Cloud, wha-"

She turned back to Cloud, seeing him kneeling down in front of her on one knee. Her eyes widened, when she realized what she thought was happening. She raised her hand to her heart, as she felt small tingles run through her body. She looked down at him, seeing the nervous and anxious expression across Cloud's face.

He took hold of her hand and brought his other hand into his pocket, before revealing a metal ring.

"Aerith, will you marry me?"

Cloud felt his heart nearly pound out of his chest as he waited for her response. Mere seconds seemed to feel like hours. If she didn't respond soon enough, he felt as though he was about to pass out from the sheer anxiety of it all. He looked up at her, gazing into her deep green eyes. A small smile formed on his face when he saw the tears begin to well up in her eyes.

Her lips pursed up into a tight grin, seeing Cloud act so incredibly charming in front of her. It was something that only she had really seen. She knew that the longer it took for her to respond, the more it must have been eating Cloud up inside.

Cloud kneeled there; ring in hand, waiting anxiously.

She smiled, "What do you think?"

A wide smile spread across Cloud's face. This was the biggest smile that she had ever seen from Cloud, grinning from ear to ear. This simple smile filled Aerith's heart with so much love and happiness.

"I would love to marry you, Cloud."

He excitedly rose to his feet and took hold of Aerith's hand, placing the ring on her finger. The two of them marveled on how perfectly the ring fit.

She rose her hand up to her face, examining and admiring the ring. It was beautiful. She couldn't help but let the tears roll down her face and she didn't seem to care. This moment meant everything to her. It was something that the two of them had often thought about, but it just seemed like it would never happen.

She looked up at Cloud and placed her hands around his neck. "It's perfect."

Cloud's hands lifted up towards Aerith's cheeks, brushing away the tears that had fallen He smiled. "I love you."

Aerith leaned forward and passionately pressed her lips up against his, catching him by surprise, before he let out a small chuckle. She continued to kiss him again and again, each kiss representing the amount of love she had for him. Not once did she remove her lips from his. She was so overwhelmed with love.

She forcefully pushed him back until he fell backwards, her falling down with him. The two of them landed into the pool of water at the base of the altar. She landed on top of him, continuing to kiss him. Although his heartbeat still pulsed rapidly, there was relief within him. She said yes! All of his worries and fear of rejection had been washed away. They would finally share their life together.

The water from the pool washed over the both of them, but neither one of them seemed to care. The water reflected off of the night sky, making it seem as though the two of them were floating amidst a sea of stars. Cloud leaned up to capture Aerith's lips in another soft kiss, feeling incredible happiness well up within him. He pulled back, a small smile on his face.

"I love you, too." She responded the only way she could in that moment. She placed her lips against his again.

* * *

"I'm just gonna say it. Alcohol makes me happy." Yuffie slammed down one of the drinks at the bar, as Elena watched her, unsure if she should feel amused or scared. After just returning from a date that she went on with the one regular at the Seventh Heaven, Yuffie decided to calm her nerves with a little drink. Unfortunately for both Tifa and Elena, that one drink turned into a dozen.

From behind the bar, Tifa was cleaning out some of the glasses after a long day of work. Coincidentally, all those glasses were drinks that Yuffie had.

"You really are a lightweight. You shouldn't even be drinking." Elena chastised.

"I...know...I'm materia...Yuffie ninja." Yuffie slurred out before giggling.

Elena looked between Yuffie and Tifa, unsure of what to even say. Yuffie wasn't even making sense in the slightest. "What the hell's going on with this girl?"

Tifa shot a quick look at Elena, before deciding to remove Yuffie's glass from in front of her. "I think you've had enough, Yuffie. You should get some sleep."

"Noo...nooo...?" Yuffie slurred, before swaying back and forth on the bar stool.

"You really don't get payed enough to deal with this." Elena turned to Tifa.

"I really don't." Tifa rinsed out the glasses. "Did you hear that Cloud proposed to Aerith? They're both really happy. I'm excited for them."

"Yeah, that's really good for them. It's about damn time." Elena stated.

Yuffie began to cry out loud, tears streaming down her face. "I'm so happy for them. They're so beautiful, I'm crying." She started sobbing uncontrollably, her face turning bright red. "I love Aerith. I even love the s-spiky-haired dumbass. I love everything." She continued sobbing out loud, uncontrollably and unable to be consoled.

Tifa and Elena looked at each other, unsure of what to say to Yuffie. It was in this moment when the two of them decided that Yuffie was no longer allowed to pour any of her own drinks.

Tifa placed a hand on Yuffie's shoulder, while trying to suppress a very visible giggle that only Elena had seen.

Elena turned to her friend, concerned. "Yuffie, you're a drunk mess. Let's get you to bed." The female Turk knew that she was in for a long, sleepless night of having to help Yuffie out until her hangover took over in the morning.

"Nope, I can get up myself!" Yuffie sprung up from the stool and fell to the ground. Elena attempted to help Yuffie up from the ground, but when Yuffie sprung up again, she nearly fell to the ground yet again, this time nearly taking Elena down with her. She tried to bring Yuffie to her feet, but the inebriated ninja proved to be too much of a hassle.

"Come on, Yuffie. Crazy girl." Elena took Yuffie towards the stairs, becoming very well aware that the trip up the stairs might possibly be the most difficult thing for Yuffie. Her thoughts were then interrupted when she saw Yuffie began to crawl her way up the steps.

"I don't even know how to deal with you."

As Yuffie made her way about halfway up the stairs, Reno came walking down the hallway and stopped at the top of the staircase, unsure of what was happening.

"Ehrm..." He scratched the back of his head.

"Don't ask." Elena looked up at him, before continuing to help Yuffie up the rest of the stairs.

"I think I'd be better off not knowing. Tifa downstairs?"

Elena nodded, before Reno turned back to make his way down the stairs.

Yuffie turned back to him. "Go get her, tiger!" She gave him what she thought was a subtle wink, but what was in reality, a very aggressive eye twitch.

"Let's go! Keep it moving!" Elena instructed Yuffie, who continued to crawl up the stairs.

Reno continued to walk down stairs until he arrived at the bar.

Tifa glanced over at the staircase, surprised to see Reno up and about. "Reno? I thought you'd be asleep by now? Is everything okay?"

"Yeah, everything's just fine. I think I've had enough sleep in the past couple of weeks that staying up a few extra hours shouldn't hurt."

Tifa smiled.

"I actually thought that I could use a drink." Reno took a seat at the bar.

"Sure. What would you like?" The barmaid started rummaging behind the bar for a glass and a few of her drink mixers.

"Umm...maybe just some vodka." Reno smirked.

Tifa looked up from one of the cabinets. "Ah, your favorite. I can see that you've got your drinking habits back." She replied with a small chuckle.

Reno smiled. "Maybe."

After Tifa was done pouring the drink, she handed it over to Reno and walked around the bar, taking a seat next to him on one of the barstools.

He took a gulp from the drink, making a slight face from the bitter taste from it. He seemed slightly perplexed and this was something that Tifa had instantly picked up on.

She leaned forward, "Reno, are you alright? You seem a little out of it."

He sighed, "I guess I'm just confused. I...I don't know who I am. These memories that I have, what do they mean?" He looked down to the floor, before looking back up at her. "Tifa, I'm...I'm a good guy, right?"

Tifa paused for a moment, not that she had to think, but rather she was surprised by Reno's question. "Of course, Reno. Why do you have to ask?"

"I want to know who Reno is. I have memories of...my time with Shinra and I can't help but feel that I was a terrible person."

"No, Reno. You're not." She tried to persuade.

"But then, I have memories of you and I..."

She looked him in the eyes, waiting for him to finish.

Reno shook his head, "Look, I just want to find out who I was...am. I want to just be Reno again."

Tifa inched closer to him. "Well, if you need any help to remember who you are, then let me." She took hold of his hands. "Reno was a member of the Turks and lived in Midgar. Even though he would be put up to Shinra's tasks, deep down, he has a good heart, even if he doesn't show it too often. He's loyal to friends, maybe a bit too much of a flirt, he's VERY confident, but I like that about him." She said with a small chuckle.

Reno let out a small laugh.

"He might be a little rough around the edges, but when you really get to know him, he's a good guy. There's no question about that. Any of that sound familiar?"

He smiled lightly, "Maybe."

Tifa tilted her head and returned the smile.

Reno looked into her eyes. "And what do you think about Reno?"

She smiled and inched closer to him. "Well, to me, Reno used to be someone who I thought that I would NEVER be able to get along with, but things changed. He's always there for me, even when I want to give him a good slap when his ego gets too big." She let out another giggle.

Reno leaned forward a little bit more. "What else?"

She thought for a moment. "Well, he's attractive and smart. He can always bring a smile to my face when he's acting like such a funny goofball. He can make me smile like no one else ever has. Even when he's lost and confused, when his memories are missing, I would never want to lose him. He means too much to me."

Reno leaned his face closer to hers. "He sounds like a pretty good guy."

"Yeah, he is." She leaned closer to him, her eyes slowly starting to close.

Finally, their lips met in a brief, chaste kiss. Their lips lingered against one another for just a moment, before Tifa slowly broke away.

She leaned back and smiled at him. "You remember that?"

"Maybe." He replied with a small smirk.

She leaned forward. "Then, let me remind you."

With that, she brought her lips back down to his, capturing them again in a soft, sweet kiss. Reno brought his hands down to her hips and held her there, squeezing her gently. She sighed contently into the kiss, before pulling away again.

A small smile formed on Reno's face. "That seems pretty familiar."

* * *

The next two days had come and passed quickly. News of Cloud and Aerith's engagement spread quickly. The news traveled from Edge to all of their other friends throughout the word. Throughout the day, Zack in Gongaga and Cid and Shera offered their congratulations to the newly engaged couple. Whenever anyone asked them if they had a date yet in mind, the couple had to remind their friends that it had only been a couple of days and that they didn't want to rush this part of their life. They wanted to be together and enjoy life for what it was worth.

Aerith returned back to her home after a busy day of work. She remembered the words that one of her new friends told her the other day, about the flower shop being popular amongst the people of Edge. Luckily, it was true. With each passing day, more citizens came to check the shop out and she was making more transactions and taking more orders. It was quite exciting for her to be running her own business and a successful one at that.

"I'm home." Aerith called out.

"Hello, dear. How was work?" Elmyra called out from the kitchen.

Aerith passed Cloud on the couch and made her way towards the kitchen. "It was fine. I've been taking more orders recently. The shop is starting to get really popular."

Cloud looked up and smiled. "That's great!"

Elmyra started to pace around the kitchen, preparing things for dinner. "Well, it's good that you're home now. Just in time to help me with dinner!"

Aerith shook her head, "Sorry, I can't. I'm heading back out."

Cloud looked up to her, concerned. "You're heading out now? It's getting late."

She nodded. "I know. I was just going to take a quick trip out to the flower fields. I have a lot of orders that I have to complete tomorrow and I'd rather be a bit ahead in my work."

Cloud bit his lip and sighed, rather disappointed. "Maybe I should go with you?"

Elmyra let out a small laugh from the kitchen, sensing Cloud's nerves. "Haha, believe me, Cloud. Aerith can take care of herself."

He rolled his eyes and took hold of Aerith's hands. "I know. I just...missed you a lot today."

A small smile appeared across Aerith's lips. "I'll tell you what, Tomorrow, I'll get my work done early and I'll spend all afternoon with you. We'll do the deliveries together, help mom cook dinner together, everything. That sound good?"

Cloud nodded and grinned. "Yeah...well, everything except for helping your mother."

Elmyra called out from the kitchen. "I heard that, mister! It's SUCH a shame that you'll be helping me tonight instead, Cloud!"

Aerith let out a small chuckle, admiring the small squabbles that typically ensued between Cloud and her mother.

Aerith smiled, "There's no need to worry about missing me. You know why?"

"Because we'll have a life together from here on out?" He smiled.

She nodded, happily. "Exactly."

Elmyra called out from the kitchen, "Cloud! Get in here, please."

Cloud let out a small, frustrated sigh. "I'd better go in there before she starts throwing the pans at me."

Aerith wrapped her arms around him and chuckled. She smiled up at him. "Good luck."

Cloud looked down at her and smiled. "Come home soon, okay?" He brought his lips down to her forehead.

"I promise I will."

* * *

Aerith drove out to the flower field. It was just a short drive, but still far enough away from the city. She passed beyond the mountains, until she came across the familiar setting that she had come to love so much. As soon as her eyes caught sight of the first flower field, she instantly felt lighter, like she was at peace. This was her Promised Land.

She parked the car on the side of the road and walked out into the flower field. As she walked through, her hands hung low, carrying a small basket with her. She gently knelt down before tracing her fingertips along the soft petals of the flowers. The entire field was tranquil, like this was her own corner of the world where nothing could ever hurt her. She scanned the wide variety of flowers of all different colors. She thought all of them were beautiful. She began to gently pluck a few of the flowers from the earth's soil, brushing away the dirt, before placing them in her basket.

She had to admit, the place felt a little bit lonely without Cloud there. She had considered this place to be "their place", their escape from the world. The beautiful white and yellow carnations that were scattered about the field had always reminded her of Cloud and had become her favorite kinds.

She let out a small sigh, realizing that she would have wanted Cloud there with her and should have taken him up on his offer. Even though their mornings and evenings were spent together, coming to this field, being in this place, it made her miss him all the more. While her thoughts had carried her away, before she knew it, her basket was already completely full of the various types of carnations. She lifted herself up off of the ground and brushed down her dress, feeling content with getting ahead start of the following day's work.

Aerith slowly started to trace her way back through the flower fields, looking up towards the night sky. The sky was like a dark blanket, twinkling with its' many stars. It reminded her of the night days before, where Cloud had proposed under those same stars. A warmth spread through her. She looked down at the new ring on her finger, as a small smile spread across her face.

"I'm coming home, Cloud."

She stared deeply into the night sky.

"Well, isn't that touching?" A dark voice spoke out to her.

Aerith was immediately snapped out of her thoughts as soon as the voice echoed across the flower fields. She recognized it instantly. She turned around to face the white-haired man that stood before her.

"You..." Aerith's eyes widened when she saw Sephiroth standing across the flower field from her.

Sephiroth smirked, "I can see you still believe in your foolish notions of true love winning out. How tragic."

Aerith's voice quivered, "How...how did you...come back?"

Jenova appeared beside Sephiroth. "When you foolishly decided to venture into Cloud's conscience, you brought back my dear son with you."

Aerith stepped back when Jenova appeared. "You...you're supposed to be dead."

"As are you." Jenova hissed. "We can still make arrangements."

In an instant, Sephiroth approached Aerith and grasped her by the throat. The gloved hand around her throat squeezed tightly, as Aerith struggled against him.

"Let go of me! What are you going to do to me?!" She screamed out.

Sephiroth smirked, "Don't worry, unlike my mother, I'll at least show some mercy. I still need you."

Aerith winced, "Why?"

"To get to Cloud, of course." Sephiroth smiled.

Aerith's eyes widened, "No, Sephiroth. Don't hurt him! What are you going to do to him?" She began fighting back against Sephiroth.

Jenova smirked, "That is no concern of yours. Take her."

Sephiroth began lifting up off of the ground, a wicked smile on his face.

Aerith cried out, "What?! What are you doing!? Where are you taking me?!"

He turned back to her, "To the headquarters. Hopefully, you said your goodbyes to Cloud. You will never see him again."

Aerith's heart began to pound. "No! You can't keep us apart forever! He'll find me! I know that he will! He always does."

"You still believe that the two of you could accomplish greatness together?" She smirked, "How foolish. All that was destined for you two was to share a love that could never be. Thanks to us."

Aerith fought back, "No! I'll never stop fighting for him! I love him!"

"Then, you should thank us for sparing you all of those feelings of heartbreak yet again." Jenova smirked.

Sephiroth turned to her, "Come, mother. The Shinra Headquarters awaits."

"Just one last touch." Jenova let out a wicked laugh. With a movement of her hands, a flame appeared within her palm. With a grunt, she sent the flame into the flower field, where an inferno exploded. The field caught ablaze with fire, burning the once beautiful flowers, charring and blackening them. The great flame expanded and grew, engulfing the flowers fields, creating a fiery inferno that stretched into the smoke-blackened sky.

"No!" Aerith cried out, watching as her Promised Land burned to ashes, as Sephiroth pulled her away from the fields.

Jenova smiled, "So much for a land of eternal happiness."

The great, fiery inferno grew larger until the many fields were burning and ablaze, creating a sea of red fire under the dark night.

* * *

Thanks to Luna Goddess of the Night and Koskaoru for reviewing! I really appreciate it. Also, thanks to the fans and followers of the story for sticking around! The story is winding down now, so wait and see how everything unfolds.


	19. Searching

**Chapter Nineteen - Searching**

Cloud nervously paced back and forth around the living room, while Elmyra tried to calm his nerves.

"Cloud, relax. It's only been two hours since she left. She'll be home soon." She tried to persuade him, to no avail.

He shook his head and didn't reply. He didn't know how to explain it, but he just felt like something was wrong. It was like an instinct. Whenever Aerith was in danger, a certain fear just came over him and he knew that something wasn't right.

"Cloud, you know that Aerith can take care of herself, right?"

He turned to her. "Of course I know that."

She grasped Cloud by his cheeks. "Then what are you getting yourself so worked up about?"

"I-I just don't want to see her get hurt. I'm concerned about her, that's all. What if something happened to her? Wouldn't you feel the same?" Cloud stuttered out.

Elmyra sighed. "Of course I would, Cloud. I'm her mother. I would put my own life at risk if it meant keeping her protected. I know that you'd do the same."

He slumped down onto the couch. This feeling that was welling up within him felt like it was eating him alive. He didn't want Aerith to leave in the first place, but now he had entirely different concerns when she hadn't come home. While he had no reason to suspect that something bad had happened to her other than his own feelings, his mind still couldn't help but wander to the worst possible situations.

What were his options? He could either sit around all night and wait for Aerith to come home, allowing his concerns to drive him mad all night or he could go out and find her. He felt like the answer was obvious.

Cloud sprung up from the couch and grabbed his keys from off of the table.

"Cloud? Where are you going?" Elmyra called out to him.

He went over to the front door and opened it, heading outside. He was going to find her. It didn't matter if she was kicking and screaming the entire trip back, he was going to make sure that she was alright so that his irrational fears would be calmed.

He hopped onto Fenrir and powered the motorcycle on, speeding down the street.

"Cloud!" Elmyra called out to the man from the opened front door, but by the time her words could ever reach his ears, the blonde-haired man was already gone.

Cloud raced down the streets of Edge. The city streets at night were quiet and dull. He passed the occasional drunkard that wandered about the city or the small groups of businessmen that were making their way home from work. He felt anxious, his own fears rising up within his heart as he made his way towards the outskirts of the city.

The motorcycle sped down the dirt pathway that led throughout the grasslands surrounding the city. Cloud searched back and forth across the trail, looking for any signs of his missing flower girl, but he could not find anything. His eyes searched the dirt path before him, wandering through the plains and up towards the surrounding hills and mountains. He was hoping he'd see her beautiful, impressive green eyes or her bright pink dress that always made her stand out, but instead; he did not find a single hint of her whereabouts.

The wind whipped through his hair, feeling as though his heart was about to beat out of his chest. Just up ahead, by the flower fields, he saw smoke rising into the sky. Now, he knew more than ever, that something was definitely wrong and he nearly froze, paralyzed with fear. He raced further down the path, faster and faster.

"Aerith!" He called out.

He stopped the motorcycle just on the edge of the field and that is where he saw it. He hopped off from the motorcycle and ran forwards, his heart sinking when he saw the field, the world that he had shared with Aerith, destroyed and shattered. The beautiful flowers were nothing but blackened ash. The beautiful, tranquil land that was once there's was now nothing but the remains of fiery embers, burning away into the dark night.

His teeth clenched, still continuing to search for Aerith, even though she was not to be found. His eyes watered over and his hand clenched into a fist until his knuckles were bone-white. He let out an anguished cry that echoed throughout the destroyed field. He lost her again and that devastated him. What happened to her? Was she alright? Where was she? These were all questions that he asked, but no answers yielded themselves to him. He vowed to himself that he would not stop fighting for her until she would be returned to his side again and that was at all costs.

He gritted out, "Aerith, I will find you!"

* * *

Aerith kicked and struggled as Sephiroth brought her through the Shinra Headquarters. She had dreaded this place, not because she actually found the place scary or intimidating, but after she had spent the first seven years of her life with her dying mother locked up within these headquarters, returning here was the farthest things from her mind.

"Sephiroth, what are you doing!? If you were going to kill me, then why don't you just get on with it?" Aerith pleaded.

Sephiroth looked at her, curiously.

"Or do you not have what it takes?" She tested him.

Sephiroth nearly snapped then, trying to contain himself. He tightly gripped his hand around her throat. "Don't try me."

The flower girl stared into his eyes, not wavering for a second.

Sephiroth delicately caressed Aerith's cheek. "I still need you. My mother might disagree. She'd probably kill you the moment she sees you here. I can't let her have that, now can I?"

Aerith averted his gaze from him, refusing to look the man into his icy, blue eyes. She almost felt sick to her stomach. "And what if she does? You'd win in the end anyway."

He smiled, "Cetra, you're too valuable to me to just discard you like that. If my mother tries to kill you, well then that would just stomp all over my plans. I'd have to kill her for that."

Aerith's breath hitched, not expecting such an answer to come out of him. The man before her was truly twisted.

"You're too much of a threat to her." He smiled, wickedly.

She snapped back, "To you, as well."

He chuckled, darkly. "Right, but without you so helplessly in my pocket now, how could I ever get Cloud to come face me himself?"

Aerith stated, determinedly. "Leave Cloud out of this. You already have me. You could kill me and finish the rest of your plans. You'd win."

"I want much more than winning. I want to see suffering, from the both of you."

Aerith felt anger building up inside of her.

He grasped Aerith's cheeks with one of his hands, holding her firmly, "I want to see the look on your face...when I kill him right in front of you."

Aerith felt like she was sick to her stomach. She thought that it was impossible to feel so much hatred for one person welling up inside of her. However, the rising amount of animosity that she had towards Sephiroth proved her wrong. She had to avoid keeping Cloud from coming at all costs, if it meant keeping him safe.

Sephiroth took hold of her and brought her over to one of the containment prison cells in the specimen containment floor of the Shinra Headquarters. He slid the metal bars of the door open, forcing Aerith into the cold, dark space within.

"I believe you are already well acquainted with your new home. You had quite the remarkable childhood here, did you not?" He chuckled, before closing the iron bars behind her.

Aerith rushed up and grasped her hands around the iron bars. "Sephiroth, please! We don't deserve this! I didn't do a thing to you."

"Oh, I know." He leaned up closer to her, the metal bars just barely stopping him from being so close that their noses just barely touched one another. "But HE does deserve this."

Aerith smacked Sephiroth's hand away and reared back, falling down into the prison cell with a loud thud.

Without another word, Sephiroth walked away, leaving the Cetra behind and imprisoned.

She let out a frustrated cry and rushed forward towards the iron bars, grasping them with both of her hands. She desperately shook the bars, hoping that they would somehow become unlocked and she'd be able to pry the door open. She tried kicking at the bars with her heavy boots and pushing them open with hard thrusts from her shoulder, but it was no use though. The iron was strong and would not move no matter how hard she had tried to open it. It was not going to budge.

'An escape. There has to be an escape out of here.' She thought to herself.

She looked around the cell, but all she could really see was darkness. She could tell that to the right of the cell, there were other ones just like hers. It was too dark to tell if there was anyone trapped inside or not. The cells were separated by a thin iron bars that ran around the perimeter of the cubed chamber.

'There has to be something.' She examined all of the metal bars and looked around towards the walls, searching for anything that she could use to her advantage. She looked up towards the metal ceiling of the chamber, where she saw a small opening between the bars.

'Maybe if I can get up there, I can reach through and open something from the other side?' She thought it was worth a shot.

She climbed up onto the iron bars at the front of the door and climbed up, reaching for the small opening in the bars above by the ceiling. Just as she realized that her plan was most likely not going to work, her footing gave out and she was sent falling to cold, metal floor, landing on her back. She let out an exasperated sigh when she embraced the pain that surged through her body upon the impact. She let out a hard cough.

"It's not going to work, you know. We've already tried about everything." A voice called out to Aerith from the shadows of one of the other cells.

She turned her head and for the first time, saw two figures sitting in one of the jail cells. "Who's there?"

One of the figures called out, "Just us."

Aerith tried to see through the darkness and was able to make out the figures' clothes. The two were wearing some sort of military uniform. They must have been members of one of the many military fleets throughout the world.

She questioned them. "Soldiers? Did Sephiroth and Jenova take you, too?"

The other soldier answered in a slightly lower tone. "Not just us. All of us."

"What?" She shook her head, perplexed.

The soldier answered, "Those two have captured almost all of the military soldiers in Edge. My friend and I were two captains from our squad. We were the last to be caught."

"We tried to get the word out, but those two freaks got us before we got the chance." The other soldier responded.

"Where are the other soldiers?" She questioned.

"Locked away somewhere within the Headquarters. They're trying to keep us apart. If they got us all together, they knew we'd riot until we broke free...or maybe they'd just kill us all." The one soldier let out an ironic chuckle.

"That's not funny." The other soldier remarked.

"Wait, I don't understand. Why would Sephiroth and Jenova go through the struggle of taking out an entire military armada?" Aerith questioned.

One soldier responded, "Who knows? Probably because they don't want any interference with whatever they had planned for Edge. If they knew an entire military was coming after them, I don't think their plans would go as smoothly."

"Yeah, haven't you noticed the missing soldier forces in Edge at all?" The other soldier questioned, with a slight childlike annoyance in his voice.

She thought about it for a moment and came to the conclusion that they were right. Within the past couple of days, she did notice the lessening appearance of soldiers and security throughout the village. Monsters were also seen more frequently throughout Edge. For the most part, the soldiers would typically take out the monsters before even arriving in the city, so for a monster to be seen prowling about the streets was a big deal.

"Well, I guess I didn't expect all of you to end up in here." She got up to her feet before making her way back over to the iron bars, where she continued her pursuit in helplessly shaking the bars.

One of the soldiers sighed, "We tried it all. It's not going to budge." The soldier got up to his feet and went over to their door. He shook the bars, damning himself when he realized how strong they were. "They're too sturdy. Our damn hands can't even fir through these damn bars without getting stuck." He turned back and nodded at his fellow soldier. "It's no use."

Aerith pushed the two of them out of her thoughts, as she continued to struggle with the lock at the front of the cell. "I...am not...giving up! There's someone important to me out there, someone that I love very much and I am not going to stop until I find him."

The one soldier glanced in-between Aerith and his friend. "What's up with her? I already told that chick that there's no way out."

She snapped at him. "First of all, my name is Aerith." She reached through the metal bars and began toying with the lock. "And I'll find one."

"Persistent, aren't you?" The one soldier remarked.

"Annoying, aren't you?" Aerith snapped back.

The other soldier sighed and lowered his head. "Leave her alone. She's got more determination than the both of us."

The other soldier sighed and let out a long whistle in defeat. He glanced over at Aerith, really looking at her for the first time. "You! It's you!"

As she continued playing with the lock, she rolled her eyes and sighed. "What about me?"

"You stole our damn clothes!"

She was then snapped out of her focus and looked at the soldier. "What are you even talking about?"

"Back in Mideel! You and your friend knocked us out and stole our soldier uniforms!" The soldier yelled at Aerith.

It clicked to her all of a sudden. Back when she and Zack were trying to get to the northern continent months before, they had knocked two of the soldiers out and used their uniforms as a disguise to sneak onto their boat.

"Oh." Aerith replied, sheepishly, feeling though as she was being backed into a corner. "I-I didn't think I'd see the two of you again. You remember all that, huh?"

The one soldier responded, annoyed. "Well, yeah! That bruise hurt for weeks."

Aerith grimaced, "Sorry. I guess I'm just surprised to see that those two clumsy soldiers ended up rising to "leader" ranks."

"Hey, that's not nice! We worked really hard for these positions!"

The other soldier voiced his concern, "He's right, we did. It's not every day common strangers attack us and steal our uniforms. We were unprepared for that to say the least."

"AND I had an autograph from that Cloud Strife guy! It's only a once in a lifetime shot that you get an autograph from a real hero and I lost mine when you stole my uniform from me!"

Aerith covered her mouth, trying to suppress a small giggle. "Well, that's ironic."

The one soldier stared, dumb-founded. "What?"

She brought up her hand, flashing her engagement ring. "I'm his betrothed."

The one annoyed soldier felt a cold chill pass through him when she said this. If she was to go back home and tell her betrothed about the 'terrible soldier that gave her a hard time', Cloud would probably have this soldier's head, or at least that's what he thought. He did the best he could to overcompensate then.

"Ohhh...well, it figures that a strong hero like him would have a devastatingly, beautiful woman like you," He tried to say directly, thankful that his hood masked his face. "I'm sure we'll find our own beautiful girls like this one in town, right buddy?" He looked back at his soldier companion, who didn't respond.

Aerith laughed, "So, first you annoy me, then you yell at me and now you try to sweet talk me? What world do you come from?"

"Don't mind him, Aerith. He can be a bit of a handful." The one soldier stated.

Aerith playfully chuckled and brushed off the soldier's comments. "It's alright. Well, as long as you accept my apology for the trouble my friend and I caused you awhile back."

The soldier brushed it off, "Nah, it's alright."

Aerith went back to the iron bars, playing with the lock. "If I can...just...pick this lock..."

"You're really determined to get out of here, aren't you?" The one soldier pondered, admired by the woman's determination.

"Well, of course. I'm not going to sit around here forever and let those two get their way. When there's something I want, I'll work for it until I get it." She stated.

"You're pretty stubborn." The one soldier replied to her.

His soldier companion looked at him. "So are you. I can see why the two of you clashed."

Aerith gave the two soldiers a small smile. "So, what are you two going to do? Are you gonna sit around forever and let me find an escape by myself or are you going to help me?"

The two soldiers looked at each other, before turning back to face her.

"We're in."

A confident smile grew on Aerith's face.

"Alright. Let's break out of here."

* * *

Cloud desperately raced down the streets of Edge, searching fervently for any trace of the flower girl that he was looking for.

'What if she's in danger? What if she's hurt?' His mind wandered to the worst places, thing how he'd never be able to live with himself if he allowed her to be hurt again. His pursuit continued onward, racing down the street. At this point of the night, it felt as though he had searched the streets for hours and was starting to move about in circles.

Ahead of him, he came across a rather ferocious wolverine monster that was prowling about the streets. The creature sensed Cloud's approach and leaped forward towards the man. In preparation against the wolverine's attack, Cloud unsheathed his buster sword and charged towards the creature. He swerved Fenrir to the side, just at an angle enough to miss the creature by a margin. He brought his sword down to the side of the motorcycle and accelerated forward, slicing the monster in half.

With the creature now out of the way, Cloud continued down the street, racing towards the Seventh Heaven. It was a long shot, but he had hoped that Aerith would be there, even though he had every doubt that she wouldn't be. It was at least worth a shot. As soon as he got there, he parked Fenrir outside of the bar and charged inside, nearly breaking down the door in the process.

As soon as he entered, Tifa noticed him from behind the bar counter.

Tifa slightly jumped from his sudden burst into the bar. "Cloud, do you know what time it is?" Then, she noticed his rather disheveled appearance. "Cloud, are you alright? You look like a mess."

He ignored her question. "Where is she?"

She shook her head, perplexed. "What are you talking about?"

"Aerith! She's gone! I can't find her anywhere."

Tifa's eyes widened, "What? What could have happened?" She shot a quick glance upstairs, knowing that everyone else in the Seventh Heaven was already fast asleep and was made a bit nervous thinking that Cloud's loudness might disturb them.

He replied, nearly out of breath. "I don't know, but if anything happens to her..." He grasped the sides of his head, thinking about the worst possible scenarios that could have happened to his betrothed.

Tifa placed a hand on his shoulder. "Cloud, don't worry. You'll find her."

Without another word, Cloud bolted back out of the bar and his pursuit for Aerith continued.

"Cloud!" Tifa called out to him.

He had already taken off on his motorcycle, speeding down the street, making his way around the city for the third time that night. It felt like he had searched every street corner, alley and sidewalk to find her, but she was anywhere. It was like she had completely disappeared and he was left with no clue where he should even begin to look for her.

"Damn it!" He cursed out loud.

He wasn't going to lose her, not again! He continued searching for what felt like several more hours, but maybe it was just his anxiety and stress that made mere seconds feel like passing hours. Cloud felt that, soon enough, the sun would be rising over Edge. As he continued his down the street, he saw another monster come before him. Another creature bolted out from the side, followed by a third that trailed off behind the man. Soon, he was surrounded and realized why the broadcasts throughout the city told everyone to travel very scarcely throughout the night. These monsters were vicious and were willing to put up the worst kind of fight.

"When will you things take a hint?" Cloud muttered, as he unsheathed his sword.

Back at the Seventh Heaven, Tifa rushed up the stairs and entered into Barret's bedroom. She saw the sleeping man in his bed, Marlene curled into his side. His chest rose and fell with each steady breath that he took, as he let out a loud snore after each exhale. She immediately rushed over to the burly man and light shook him, hoping for him to wake up. At this rate, she didn't care how upset he would become by his awoken slumber. They had more important matters to take care of than the interruption of Barret's slumber.

Barret slowly stirred from his sleep. "Mmm? Hmm."

"Barret, wake up!" She whispered.

He groaned out loud, "Tifa, what is it?"

"Come on, get up." She enticed him, lifting the covers off of him.

At this point, Barret knew that there would be no getting out of what Tifa had to tell him. More concerning to him, however, was that Tifa only usually awoke him when there was something wrong. He knew that there must have been some problem and at this hour of the night, all he really wanted to do was crash back into his bed.

As Tifa pulled Barret from the bed, Marlene let out a small yawn and slowly shifted her position, feeling the bed suddenly become lighter.

"Tifa, what's the deal? Do you know what time it is?" Barret nearly snarled at her.

"There's no time for that. Aerith is gone."

"What do you mean gone?" His eyes widened.

Tifa finished. "She's missing. Cloud's searched all over Edge to find her, but she hasn't shown up anywhere. If something were to happen to her..."

"...Spike will lose it again." He finished. "Whaddya think happened?"

"I don't know, but if one thing's for sure, Cloud will find out, even if it means the death of him." She sighed, "So, what do ya suppose we do?"

Barret thought for a moment. "Well, how 'bout we be some kickass friends and tear this place up until we find that damn flower girl!"

"You serious?" Tifa questioned.

"Yeah! We're Spike's friends. We'd be there for him for anything, right?"

Tifa smiled and nodded. "Right."

He huffed. "So, we'll do whatever it takes until we track Aerith down! We'll go through the city and search every damn corner if we have to! We'll be there to support Cloud. We'll visit Elmyra. We'll do whatever it takes to make things better!" He cheered optimistically.

She smiled. "You're a good friend, Barret."

"No, we are good friends." He corrected.

Tifa nodded, "Come on, let's help out. We can bring Yuffie and Reno and the kids to Elmyra's. We can do whatever we can to make this situation better. I'll call Cid to tell him what's happened." She muttered as she walked away.

"Alright." Barret nodded. 'Dammit, Aerith. Why can't things ever be easy?'

* * *

"Why can't things ever be easy?" Aerith huffed out, trying to fidget with the lock one last time. She had pulled and tried to force the locked cell open so many times that she felt as through her arms were about to fall off. She figured at least one last try would be worth the chance. It wasn't.

"I thought we told you that it was no use?" One of the soldiers spoke up.

Aerith glanced at him. "I know. I'm just too determined for my own good." She glanced around out of breath, continuing to look around the plain cell for anything to use to her advantage.

"What about that guy?" The one soldier commented.

The other continued, "Yeah, Cloud. He's probably searching all over for you."

She sighed. "Oh, I know that he is."

"I guess all of us are searching for that one important person or thing in this world that keeps us fighting."

The soldier's comrade turned to him. "You as well? Huh?"

The soldier nodded.

Aerith looked over at the two soldiers. Could they have been in the same situation that she was in? She never really gave it much of a thought until that moment. Upon that instant, her face softened, realizing that she and those two soldiers had a lot more in common than she initially thought.

Her thoughts were interrupted when they heard footsteps make their way from around the corner of the containment area. Within moments, Jenova emerged from within the shadows of one of the stairwells, the cold, blue-tinted lights above illuminating her continuously deforming figure.

"Well, it's good to see you, Cetra." Jenova approached the metal bars of the cell.

"My name's Aerith. If you're going to kill me, at least have the decency to remember my name."

Jenova snickered, "I knew this day would come. I've been waiting for it."

"And what day is that?" Aerith sarcastically remarked, not really interested in what Jenova had to say.

"The day when I will finally be rid of you for good."

Aerith flashed an expression of mock fear. "I'm terrified."

Jenova let out a small childish laugh. "You're cunning for a lonesome flower girl." From within one of her limbs, Jenova revealed a set of keys, which she playfully boasted in front of Aerith, just out of her reach, feeling highly amused with the scenario. "Looking for these?"

One of the guards got up to their feet. "The keys! Hand them over, Jenova!"

"Silence, fools! Like I'd let you escape so easily." She smiled, "No, I'd much rather let you and the others live out your days in this cell until you wither away and die of despair."

At that, the one soldier instantly backed away.

Aerith turned to her captor. "If you wanted to be rid of me, why not just do it? It would be easier to kill me now and have me out of the way."

"You really are more cunning than I thought." Jenova snickered. "If I were to kill you now, I would be going against my son's plans and I cant have that now, can I?"

Aerith stepped further into the cell and glanced over at the soldiers to the side of her.

Jenova stepped closer until her body was just touching the cold metal bars of the cell. "No. I want to watch you suffer. I want you alive to see Cloud's death. I want you to watch your mother and your friends' lives taken before your eyes. I want you to suffer through the pain of having everything taken away from you, the last Cetra."

Aerith stepped closer to the iron bars, inching closer to Jenova. "If you hurt any of them, it would give me all the reason to defeat you."

Jenova stared daggers at the young woman before her.

Aerith stepped up onto her toes, so that her eyes met with the gruesome figure before her. "If you really wanted to hurt me, you would kill me right here when you have the chance." She leaned forward towards the creature, her head tilted.

Jenova sneered. "Don't mock me. You're nothing but a weak flower peddler that has seen ar too much luck."

"Then how about we finish this here? Put an end to all of this?"

"Aerith, what are you doing?!" One of the soldiers called out to her.

She stepped closer, until her face was lined right with Jenova's just mere inches apart. "Kill me now, or are you afraid of going against your son's orders?"

Jenova's eyes widened.

A confident smile spread across Aerith's face when she realized that her manipulation of Jenova was working. "Do you not have what it takes?"

Jenova replied, coldly. "I did promise my son I would act accordingly..." She stared Aerith in the eyes, as if they were to pierce through her. "...but sadly, i follow no one else's orders but my own."

With that, Jenova thrust her limb forward, heading straight towards Aerith to take the life out of her.

Aerith dodged out of the way of Jenova's attack and was just barely missed. Within an instant, she felt a powerful energy build up within her, as she extended her palms out forward. A purple haze appeared from within her palms and blasted towards Jenova. The purple haze covered Jenova's body, trailing along it as if it was like thick ice. The creature before her slowly froze in place, completely unable to move.

"Wha-" Jenova could not finish her sentence. She felt her body completely freeze over. Her eyes twitched within her deformed face, staring coldly at the Cetra before her. This was truly the worst form of prison; seeing someone you despise so much in front of you and you can't even move to do a thing about it. Her body was completely still.

"What the hell was that?" One of the soldiers questioned.

Aerith smiled, "One of my many special talents. It won't last long, but it should hold her over just long enough to get us out of here."

One of the soldiers let out a long whistle, "You're pretty damn brave, you know that? Not something I'd expect out of you."

Aerith shot him a smile. "Thanks." She turned to the creature before her, her limbs halfway sticking through the iron bars. "Now, what to do about you?"

Aerith examined the frozen figure before her until she found the metal keys within her grasps. She delicately grasped the keys, bending Jenova's wispy fingers until she was able to retrieve the item.

She turned to the soldiers. "Boys, rule number one when it comes to combat: never underestimate your opponent."

She brought the keys up to the front of the cell, where she found the lock. She slid the key into the keyhole and twisted it to the right, hearing a faint clicking sound. A deep exhale came from within the Cetra, as if she almost couldn't believe it to be true. She close her eyes, gripping onto the iron bars of the cell, before she pulle the bars back, pulling the cell door open.

Aerith gasped, "I did it!" She could have sworn that she saw Jenova's frozen eyes glare at her.

The flower girl quickly made her way over to the opposing cell, where she unlocked the door at the front, allowing the two soldiers to rise to their feet and gain an ounce of freedom back. Instantly, the two soldiers embraced Aerith.

"That was pretty awesome back there, if I do say so myself!" One soldier commented.

The other soldier stepped forward and pointed towards Jenova. "Aerith, take care of her. Get rid of her for good."

Aerith stood there for a moment before shaking her head. "No."

The soldier stared at her perplexed, "Aerith, you do realize how powerful she is, right? We could kill her now." The soldier geared back.

Aerith stopped him before he could react. "Stop, it's not right."

"What do you mean 'right'?" The one soldier remarked.

She explained. "Jenova would kill me at any chance she was given. I'm not going to do that. It's not fair. I'm not going to bring myself down to her level."

"Aerith, you're too good."

She nodded and whispered, "I know."

"That's not a good thing." The soldier explained. "Jenova and Sephiroth would kill all of us if they had the chance. We could kill her now and be done with this."

She shook her head. "I won't do that. No matter how dangerous they might be, I won't allow myself to become like them." She walked over to Jenova and took hold of her limb, leading the frozen creature into the prison cell.

Aerith stared into Jenova's cold frozen eyes, which were pulsating still alive. "I'm sorry. I never wanted things to come down to this. I wish things could have been different, but I know you wouldn't have allowed them to be." She paused for a moment. "I'm sorry and I forgive you."

She looked down for a moment before staring Jenova in the eyes. "And if you ever try to hurt me or my family again, I will kill you."

With that, Aerith left the frozen Jenova behind in the cell, before pulling the iron bars shut behind her. She turned around and locked the door shut, trapping Jenova inside.

"What are you doing?" One of the soldiers questioned.

Aerith glanced at him. "Giving us a head start. It won't hold her long. It'll give us just long enough to make an escape."

"Sephiroth's out there, too. We should be ready for anything." One of the soldiers commented.

She nodded. "Alright, let's go." She led the two soldiers out of the chamber and down the hall, leading the way down through the Shinra Headquarters.

As Aerith raced down the stairwell, her heart raced. Cloud was out there searching for her. Maybe he was in trouble or hurt? 'Who knows what Sephiroth could be planning?'

She wasn't going to sit around and wait to find out. She would fight her way across the world to return to Cloud if she had to. She ran through the old building faster than her feet could carry her, her heart heavy with her thoughts and concerns. She would find and protect Cloud at all costs.

* * *

Cloud raced down through the streets, feeling overcome with emotion. 'Damn it, Aerith. Where are you?'

Hid mind was filled with so many questions and his heart ached. If he was to ever let anything happen to her again, he wasn't sure how he'd be able to live with himself. She had to be out there somewhere.

He had decided to head back towards Elmyra's house. As he raced through the streets of Edge, he looked up towards the sky. The sun was just starting to come up from the horizon. He had spent all night searching for the flower girl that had never returned.

"Aerith..." He whispered out, his words drowning into the last stretches of the night.

The sky seemed so empty suddenly as Cloud looked into it. Without Aerith by his side, the entire world just seemed different. It felt very similar to the feelings that he had felt after she had died and he hated everything about it. Suddenly, the world felt empty, full of fear and sadness. Without Aerith, he felt lost and alone. A piece of him was missing.

Cloud approached the entrance to Elmyra's house and silently sulked inside. If there was anything that would make him feel worse than he already did, it was to return home to his future mother-in-law without her daughter by his side.

Cloud walked through the front door of the house and was left surprised.

"What are you all doing here?" Before him stood Elmyra, Tifa, Barret, Yuffie, Reno, Marlene and Denzel.

"We're here to help you, of course." Tifa replied with a smile.

"Help?" He muttered.

Barret scoffed. "We're ya friends, Spike. We wouldn't let you do this all by yourself. Aerith was important to all of us."

"Yeah, Cloud! You shouldn't have to go through all of this alone! We'll find Aerith. I know that we will." Yuffie chimed in.

A small smile grew on Cloud's lips. "Thanks, guys."

"Cloud..." Elmyra stepped towards him and placed her hand on his shoulder. "If there's one thing I'm absolutely certain of, it's that you and Aerith will find each other and everything will be alright."

He smiled. "I know, Elmyra. I would do anything for your daughter. I just want her to be happy."

"As do I, Cloud. I just want her to be safe and protected. I'd do anything for that." Elmyra smiled, glad that, if there was one thing that she and Cloud had in common, it was their love for Aerith, always wanting what was best for her.

"Well, whaddya say? Another mission?" Barret cheered.

Yuffie added in. "Yeah! Operation: Find Flower Girl! We can do it, even if we have to search all corners of the world!"

Reno sighed, "Well, let's hope she hasn't made it that far. Can I at least get a drink before we go out on another one of these damn adventures?"

Tifa playfully slapped in the back of the head. "Yeah, the old Reno's definitely started to come back." She winked at him.

Reno whispered out, seductively. "Mm, you have no idea."

Tifa playfully slapped him again. The group of friends laughed.

Cloud looked before him, down at all of his friends that were now a family to him. They were irreplaceable. They were family. There was just one piece missing and he was going to find it even if he had to fight to the end of the world.

He smiled, confidently. "Alright, guys. Let's mosey!"

* * *

Aerith and the two soldiers silently crept their way down one of the numerous halls of the Shinra Headquarters. The place felt like a maze after traveling through it for a while. Continuous halls stretched into one another, stairwells led back to places they had just been. It seemed like getting out of this place would be much more difficult than getting in.

"Shouldn't you know this place? Didn't you spend a couple years in here?" One of the soldiers turned to Aerith.

"I did. Unfortunately, I never really made it out of the specimen containment center. I never really got to see much else. This place is still a mystery to me." Aerith whispered, looking about the hallway.

"What are you doing?" The soldier questioned her.

"Searching for Sephiroth. I'd rather not run into him until after we've escaped from this place. I'm not certain, but something tells me that he wouldn't be too happy about finding the three of us."

The other soldier commented. "I agree. He's too powerful. Jenova, too. Do you know what they do to anyone who crosses them?"

Aerith sighed. "Indeed. It's not pretty."

"Hey guys! I think I found where the other soldiers are being kept!" The soldier called out, causing both Aerith and the other soldier to cringe.

Aerith forcefully whispered out, "Shh! Keep your voice down. Do you want to get us killed?"

The soldier threw his hands up in defense. "Sorry. Here, let's go dow-"

Aerith took both of the soldiers by the back of their shirts and walked them over towards a office door at the end of one of the hallways. She pushed the two inside and followed in, closing the door behind her.

"Aerith, what are you doing!?" One of the soldiers whispered.

"Shh. Stay quiet!"

The other two soldiers followed her orders, aware that, if anyone could be trusted in this situation, it would have to be her.

Almost on cue, they heard footsteps walk through the hall, towards the office door. Sephiroth's heavy boots echoed down the hallway, his masamune glinting from the dim lighting that was suspended from above. He looked around for a brief moment before making his way through the hall and disappearing moments later.

With a relieved sigh, Aerith opened the door.

One of the soldiers whispered out. "You would think a top notch general like him wouldn't be fooled by a little hide and seek."

"Again, don't underestimate your opponent." Aerith reminded them. "He'll catch on soon enough. Come on, let's go get the other soldiers and get out of here." She led them down the hallway, where another set of new cells were located throughout the building. As soon as the captive soldiers had seen the three approach, Aerith instantly lifted her finger up to her mouth, signaling them to be quiet. If there was one thing she did not want, it was for them to be caught now, when they were so close to freedom.

She delicately and quietly removed the keys from her pockets. "Don't worry guys. We'll get you out of here."

The soldiers were tightly crammed into the small space, practically piled on top of one another. There was barely room to breathe. One of the captive soldiers spoke out, "Captains, you did come to rescue us."

They turned to Aerith. "We couldn't have done it without her. She's the one to thank."

Aerith turned to them. "You can thank me later, after all of this is done with." After hearing a faint click sound from the lock, she opened the iron gate and released the soldiers. She ran towards the other two cells and did the same. There must have been thirty or more soldiers that were held captive.

One of the soldiers spoke out. "We owe you one. We'll do whatever we can to help you out."

"You helped save the military of Edge." One soldier spoke up. "You could be our new commander."

Aerith turned to him, surprised. She let out a small giggle. "Me? Why me?"

"We all have so much to owe you. Even our captains were aided by you. I don't think there could be anyone more fitting. Are you up to the task?"

Aerith thought for a moment before smiling. "Yes."

"We are in your debt, Commander Aerith. We'll do anything we can to help you out."

"Thank you. All of you." Aerith looked around towards all of the soldiers. "We have to get back to the city. We have family, people that we love there. They have to be protected. We can win this. I know that we can."

The soldiers nodded at their new commander's orders.

From above them, they heard a blast erupt. The blast was strong enough that it shook the entire building.

"What was that?" One of the soldiers commented.

A small smile stretched across Aerith's lips. "I think...Sephiroth just found his mother." She looked around for a moment, staring at the soldiers. "Now's the perfect chance to head out! Let's go!" Aerith took off down the hallway, reaching the staircase and preceding downward. The army of soldiers followed behind her, ready to put their lives on the line to follow their leader's orders.

* * *

The blast erupted out of Sephiroth's hand and shook the entire chamber. He felt rage fill his heart when he found his mother locked within the cell instead of a certain flower girl. His mother was frozen stiff, but was still alive.

"What happened here?"

With a slash of his sword, he cut through the iron bars of the cell with ease. He brought his hands up to the iron bars and easily bent them away, creating an opening for him to enter into the cell. He approached his mother.

He stared at her coldly. "Mother, where is the Cetra?"

Her eyes bulged, but she did not talk.

With a quick thrust of his hand, his fist clamped around his mother's jaw. Jenova gasped for air, feeling as though the last ounce of life was draining from her body. Her usual ice, cold body felt as though it was becoming colder and colder. She stared into Sephiroth's cold eyes as he single-handedly lifted her body off of the floor.

He asked again, more directly. "Where is she?"

Jenova struggled to breathe against Sephiroth's grasp, but she managed to croak out.

"Gone."

Sephiroth released his grasp on his mother and let her body fall to the floor. Jenova felt Aerith's powerful effect on her suddenly wear off, making her able to move again. She let out several violent coughs, trying to gasp for breath. She croaked out, blood rushing up her throat, dripping from her mouth.

"How unfortunate." Sephiroth added. By the tone of his voice, it almost sounded as though he was completely un-interested. "Only more work for us."

"We will find the Cetra. She can't be far!" Jenova sneered. "When I find her, I will kill her."

"And if we don't find her, I'll kill you." Sephiroth countered. "If there's one thing you should be certain of, don't ever underestimate your opponent. I thought you knew better than that, mother."

Jenova grimaced.

Sephiroth smiled. "The day is upon us. The war starts now."

"We'll initiate the battle. If we cannot find the Cetra, we'll kill each and every person important to her; Cloud, her mother, her friends. We'll force her to show herself. We will win this in the end, son."

Sephiroth smiled. "Indeed, this world will be destroyed and we will finally get everything that we've wanted by this day's end.

* * *

Aerith raced down the main steps of the entrance plaza of the Shinra Headquarters, followed by the many soldiers. One by one, the soldiers stormed outside of the building, heading towards the main access road that connected the destroyed upper plate to the highway that led down towards Edge. Soldiers piled into abandoned vehicles left behind by the company and ramshackled through forgotten weapon inventories that Shinra had tried to keep hidden after all this time. The soldiers were prepared to fight for their lives, for the city and for the planet.

The two soldiers that Aerith had become familiar with approached her. They adjusted their armor and uniforms, preparing for whatever battles might come their way. "Are we prepared to go?"

"Yeah, I'm equipped and ready to go." The soldier flashed his gun, though was fairly unsure of exactly how to use it. He had always been accustomed to using a sword. That could be said for both of the two soldiers.

The one soldier turned to Aerith. "What about you?"

From within her pocket, Aerith revealed the White Materia, which she had kept hidden with her all this time. It seemed to sparkle and glow within her grasp. "This is all I need. This will put an end to all of this."

The soldier turned to her. "So, you're ready for this, Aerith? For the battle ahead of us?"

Aerith looked off into the distance, towards the city of Edge. "Yes, it's time I put an end to all of this. I have someone that I love very much waiting for me."

"Good." The soldier nodded. "That's what I was hoping to hear."

"Yeah, we both hope that you find who you're searching for." The other soldier said.

Aerith smiled at the two soldiers, "You, too."

"Well, then, let's head out! Edge needs us!" The one soldier called out.

Aerith reached out to them, stopping them for just a brief moment. "Wait. Thank you both for helping me out."

"Of course, Aerith. We really owe you one."

"Well, I'm very grateful." She let out a small giggle. "Can you at least tell me your names though so I can know WHO to be grateful to?"

The one soldier nodded and lifted the hood up from his uniform. He cheerfully replied with a smile. "I'm Tidus."

The other did the same and replied a bit more quietly. "Squall."

She smiled at the two soldiers. "Well, Tidus, Squall, let's go! We have a battle to be won!"

The two soldiers rushed through the entrance of the headquarters, leaving Aerith to stand in the lobby for a moment. She felt like she was standing on the edge of greatness. There were battles to be fought, wars to be won and people to be saved. She was undoubtedly sure, with every ounce of her being, that everything would be alright. She would win this battle and be reunited with him. Always.

"I'll find you, Cloud." She smiled to herself.

She looked out into the distance. The rising dawn was stretching through the sky, making her feel as if she was being engulfed by it all. The fateful day had come at last.


	20. Calamity From the Skies

**Chapter Twenty - Calamity From the Skies**

Overlooking the city of Edge from the distance, Sephiroth and Jenova stood there. The day had come at last; the day that their plans would finally come to fruition. They had wanted to destroy this world long ago and today, their plans would finally become enacted.

"Any sign of the Cetra?" Sephiroth questioned.

"No, but she's nearby. I can feel it." Jenova sneered.

Sephiroth smiled. "Perfect. We return to the city and find Cloud. If he was in danger, she would come running to him. We can take care of both of them there."

"The Cetra will finally be no more." Jenova glanced over at Sephiroth. "Please, allow me the honor of making the life drain out of that pitiful girl's eyes."

"Very well, as long as I can do the same for Cloud." Sephiroth sneered and unsheathed his masamune. "Their story ends here. The war is upon us now."

Sephiroth stared down into the city, coldly. Edge was left completely vulnerable and unsuspecting to whatever the two were planning. This is is just what they wanted. No interference, no chance of survival.

Sephiroth smiled. "Summon them."

Jenova raised one of her limbs and felt a powerful energy begin to surge within her. It was a bit strange. Ever since she had first encountered Aerith back at the Forgotten City, she felt her body begin to distort, almost as if it was crumbling away. She felt like pieces of her were slowly shattering and breaking apart, leaving a former shell of herself behind. It became a burden to move and to even continue living. To Jenova, it didn't matter anymore. As long as she was able to kill the Cetra by nightfall, she would be content with whatever fate befell her. It took thousands of years for her to massacre the entire Cetra race and she was now more determined than ever. She would kill any man, woman or child in her path if it meant getting to Aerith.

From within Jenova's grasp, a small purple aura began to appear. It spread around both her and Sephiroth and began to take shape. The purple glow began to morph and twist, forming into many different creatures which appeared from within the aura. The creatures stumbled forth, growling out as they prowled forward. The creatures looked twisted and their figures were manipulated, almost as if they had become clones of Jenova herself.

"You've done excellent work." Sephiroth admired.

Throughout the past several weeks, Jenova has started a collection, an army of sorts, of monsters that had prowled about the world. It was all a part of their plan. They had accumulated so many monsters while they adventured to Edge and were going to use them to increase their forces. With so many creatures at their disposal, Edge was certainly left unprepared for the massive ambush that was coming towards the city. Even Cloud and his friends would not be able to take out all of them.

The creatures continued to form. Several turned into dozens, which then turned into hundreds. It seemed like there was an endless stretch of monsters that began to appear along the deserted grasslands outside of Edge.

"Move out." Sephiroth commanded.

Once the command was set, the monsters began to treacherously prowl forwards, heading towards the city. They formed a vicious, rampaging wall that destroyed anything that came across its' path. Anything that was unlucky enough to come across the army of monsters was certain to suffer a painful death.

Sephiroth turned to Jenova. "They'll take care of the dirty work. First, we find the Cetra. We get her back and use her for Cloud's demise."

"With those fools out of the way, this world's destruction is almost inevitable." Jenova sneered with a sickening smile on her face.

She was so close to her ultimate goal and wanted absolutely nothing to stop her now. She felt her entire body surge with a lust for power, something far greater than her that urged to continue living onward. She would kill the Cetra and destroy this world even if it was to be the last thing she would ever do.

Sephiroth turned to her. "Don't let the Cetra fool you. She is far more powerful than anyone understands, even you, Mother." He knew that Aerith's powers were immense, even far greater than his own. The Cetra was deceiving to say the least. They should have known that better than anyone.

Jenova turned to her son. "Don't underestimate me, son." She turned away from him and looked down towards the city. "Soon, it won't matter. I know that this world will be ours when we stand before the remains of her cold, dead body."

Sephiroth turned away from his mother, realizing that her confidence was her downfall. His mother did not fully understand the opponent that they were up against, but he did all that he could to make her fully aware of it. Her heart had already been corrupted from darkness and power and rendered her useless to listen. Sephiroth would let her discover the Cetra's powers all on her own.

Jenova smiled. "It won't be long now. Soon, this will all be over. We just have to find her."

* * *

Outside of the Shinra Headquarters, the sun was already high into the sky and was starting to bask the earth in the warmth of its glow. The sun seemed brighter and larger than it usually did.

Aerith emerged from within the Shinra Headquarters and looked up towards the rising sun, before turning back to look up at the highest office windows of the corporate building behind her. There was no sign of movement.

"Do you think they're still up there?" Tidus questioned.

She thought for a moment. "No. I think Sephiroth and Jenova left. They're probably heading abck towards the city as we speak."

"Things probably aren't looking too well back in Edge." Squall spoke up. "We should head out as soon as possible."

"Roger!" Tidus cheered out, before giving a thumbs up to Aerith. "Say, anyone have any ideas on how to get back towards the city? I mean, I'd love to walk, but I think I'd fade away to nothing before I even make it back down to the access road."

Squall turned to him. "That can't be good for when you have to fight for your life later."

Aerith took a look around the main entrance plaza of the headquarters, where all of the other soldiers had previously departed from moments earlier. The entire place looked ram-shackled and destroyed. It had been unoccupied for many years and to anyone who stepped into the lobby, it certainly felt that way. There was an eerie calm that traveled through the lobby that would mistake anyone into thinking that the building was never occupied. It seemed as though Shinra was forever to be a thing of the past. Aerith didn't mind, either.

She stepped further into the lobby. She carefully stepped over the weapons that the soldiers had discarded along the floor, making her way to the back of the lobby. It was there where she saw it. Before her, parked in the far corner of the room was a busted up buggy with a Shinra Company logo painted onto the side of the car.

"Think this'll work?" She turned back to the two men.

Squall raised an eyebrow at her. "You really trust driving down the road in this piece of junk?"

She looked around for a quick moment. "Well, there isn't anything else that we can use to get out of this place, so why not?"

Tidus smiled. "You're quite the adventurous type, aren't you? I like it!"

Aerith turned back to him with a smile before opening the car door and getting inside. Once inside the car's passenger side, she saw the key's installed inside of the car's ignition.

"Looks like we're good to go. Hopefully, it still works." She smiled at the two soldiers.

Tidus came running up to the buggy, collecting all sorts of weapons from the lobby floor. He carelessly staggered across the lobby towards the vehicle, nearly dropping the various guns and swords along the way.

Squall looked at his friend, perplexed. "Don't you think we have enough equipment?"

"Can never have too much equipment." Tidus smiled, before piling the many different weapons into the back seat of the car.

"Hey, watch it!" Aerith slightly flinched when Tidus threw the weapons into the car.

"What's wrong?" Tidus questioned.

She shook her head, brushing him off. "Sorry, it's nothing. I just sort of...have a phobia of sharp objects."

"Oops, sorry!" Tidus closed the door and ran around the side of the car, opening the door of the driver's seat and starting the ignition to the car.

Aerith turned to the soldier in the back seat of the car. "Squall, you're not driving?"

He shook his head. "You look nervous. Tidus can handle it."

She gave the soldier in the driver's seat a questioning glance. "Are you sure about that? I'd at least like to be able to make it back to Edge alive."

Squall sighed. "Well, look at this way, would you rather have Tidus driving the vehicle or operating one of these things?" He lifted up a gun.

Aerith stared ahead of her and buckle up her seatbelt. "Point taken."

Tidus gripped the wheel of the car and shouted out the window. "Alright! We're off to save the day! Let's get-"

He accidentally reversed the car into the wall behind them.

Aerith gasped and gripped onto the side of the car. "Okay. We're off to a rough start, but let's hope we find luck along the way."

Tidus nervously laughed and gave the two of them a small smile. "Sorry about that guys. Let's move out!"

He stepped on the gas and the car sped through the lobby of the Shinra Headquarters before entering into the main plaza just outside of the building. The car raced down the main access road that led from the top of the plate and continued downward, exiting out of the city of Midgar.

The buggy raced down the main access pathway from the top of the plate down towards the grasslands which stretched towards Edge. It was remarkable to see how well the access road had kept up, especially when considering how the rest of Midgar was falling to pieces. The only people that used to frequent the road were Shinra employees or people that had been rich enough to be able to afford living on top of the plate. Now, the road served as a former remembrance of the barrier that once separated the now devastated Shinra Headquarters from the world below.

Aerith glanced out of the window, trying to get a better view of the city of Edge up ahead. The buggy passed several soldiers along the way, all on their own separate motorbikes and vehicles. They had been carrying their own sets of armor along the way.

"Well, it seems like everything is alright in the city…" Tidus stated, remarking how nothing looked unusual in the city from the distance.

Aerith stated, confidently. "That's what Sephiroth and Jenova would want, though."

From the back seat of the car, Squall joined in. "So, what's the plan once we get into Edge? I don't think showing up and expecting to win without a fight would be the best plan."

"No, I suppose not." Tidus replied, sarcastically.

Aerith remained silent, thinking for a moment. The answer was already clear to her.

"We make it back to the city. I make sure all of my friends and family are safe. I'll find Cloud and kiss the hell out of him after he beats Sephiroth and then I'm gonna punch Jenova before the day ends, so she should just be prepared."

Tidus grinned. "I guess…that's the plan."

"You serious?" Squall's eyes widened by the Cetra's determination and boldness. It was something that was rather unexpected from the young flower girl, but also very endearing.

"I'm dead serious, Squall. I'm goin' ready to fight."

He questioned, "What caused this change? I thought you weren't going to stoop down to their level."

She corrected him, tossing her hair over her shoulder. "I'm not stooping down to their level. I already gave Jenova her warning if she was to harm anybody I loved. If she wants to fight, we can fight. I'm ready." She started tying her hair back.

Tidus let out a small chuckle. "You know, you're kind of a badass…in a very, very scary kind of way."

Aerith nodded her head and smiled.

Squall placed his hand on Aerith's shoulder. "You've done everything you could. If Jenova is unwilling to give up, you know what you have to do."

"Yes, I do." She always saw herself as being good, but things were different now.

How long was she going to let Jenova slip by without her facing any repercussions? The creature had continuously ripped apart the Cetra's life and Aerith was done with it. Her entire race had been massacred by the creature, herself included, she'd done nothing but cause problems for Cloud and her friends, she had tried to destroy the world now on multiple occasions and yet, here she was, still alive and continuing her dreadful acts against mankind.

She never thought that she could deal any real harm to anyone, even Jenova included. When Jenova was frozen there, right within her reach, she still allowed the creature that destroyed her life to live. She would forgive the people that did her harm, even if it meant only allowing herself to take on more problems in her future. 'Not anymore.'

Aerith wanted all of this to end. She wanted Jenova gone. She wanted Sephiroth gone. She wanted the world to be safe. She wanted to live a normal and happy life with Cloud and yet, things were continuously stopping her along the way. She was done accepting this fate that continuously cursed her and was, now more than ever, determined to get exactly what she wanted.

She looked down at the metal ring around her finger and stared back up at the city.

She knew exactly what she had to do.

"Jenova killed me once before. When we make it back to the city, I'm going to kill her."

* * *

Just on the outskirts of Edge, the monsters approached and closed in on the city from all corners. The monsters came in ravaging masses, creating an army that would destroy anything in their path. When the hundreds of creatures had reached the border of the city, they let out a loud cry in unison.

The growls echoed throughout Edge and caused all of the citizens out on the streets to stop. It was a usual day, just like countless others that they had. There was nothing out of the ordinary. Business men in suits carrying briefcases swiftly walked down the street to the destination. Children were out playing games on the street. Friends would meet up at the local café and catch up on old times. The day had continued just as it ordinarily would, but in this instant, everything changed.

The citizens looked around and searched the city. Aside from the growls heard just behind the tall city buildings, everything was still and quiet. It seemed as though time had frozen and the citizens were left with only their thoughts on what was happening. Everyone stopped in their tracks and looked about the city, but could not find the source.

The people of Edge traced forwards a few steps, sensing a steady rumbling slowly begin to build up. They quickly turned their heads down the street and up towards the sky, looking for any sight of this very unnerving situation. It was a typical day for all of them that was abruptly paused when the sound of the outside world came crashing down into Edge. They felt their breath hitch in their throats, sensing the oncoming disturbance that treacherously approached them. It was almost as if they knew that fate was inevitable now. For them, for all of Edge.

The creatures broke through the city's barriers with ease, not even a single soldier there to put up a somewhat decent fight. The creatures pummeled through the edge of the town, rearing towards the crowds of people and attacking those that were too slow to move out of the way. With each steady step that the monster took, it caused a deafening rumble to shake through the city. If any did not know about the disturbance, they were certainly alerted.

A tall, bulky ogre-like creature stomped forward, cracking the cement beneath his feet, followed in suit by his other brethren. The ogre creature quickly trailed down after a young man that had been running away from the scene, before single-handedly lifting the man up into his grasps and flinging the man through the glass window of a nearby store.

The scene caused the citizens of the city to scatter and flee, screams of sheer terror echoing through the streets of Edge. The monsters quickly prowled about the city, attacking and killing those that were not lucky enough to escape. Panic rose as the citizens did whatever they could to escape this massive attack that was unforeseen. Within moments, families, friends and lives were torn apart.

A young boy was running down the street, after just having witness his parents being brutally murdered before him. The boy was a good friend to both Marlene and Denzel and had often frequented Aerith's church to tend to the flowers in her absence. He shouted for help as loud as he possible could, but nobody paid him any mind. A creature prowled after the young child, who fled for his life. The creature leaped forward and attacked the child, sending the boy to the ground. There was no chance of hope anymore. The child was dead.

A wolverine creature stalked down an older woman walking along the streets, before pouncing on her, sending the victim to the floor, where it continued to claw at her. There was little hope throughout all of Edge, as cries of unanimous pain and heartbreak echoed throughout. People tried desperately to escape, but hope was dim. One by one, more bodies continued to clutter the street. It was nothing quite like anything that was ever to be seen.

The streets were filled with bodies and limbs in piles. One could not even see the dark asphalt of the streets, as it was masked by the dead remains of the unluckiest citizens of the city. The sidewalks were paved with blood and gore, as the monster continued their hopeless torture throughout the city. It seemed as though the end was definite.

* * *

Cloud had gathered with his other friends and headed closer towards the center of town, as their search for the lost Cetra continued. His heart felt heavy and pained, as if it was about to shatter. Regardless, his search would not let up until Aerith would be found again. Behind him, Barret, Tifa, Reno, Yuffie, the kids and Elmyra trailed behind. Their hearts were just as heavy as his. It seemed that every chance they had at living a normal life was taken away before it could really ever begin.

There was a sudden rumble that shook the city, almost like a quake that traveled through the city streets. The uneasy vibration caused each of the members of the group to stiffen, looking about the street.

Cloud gripped onto the handle of his sword tighter, almost sensing a disturbance within the city. He couldn't tell, but he just felt that something seemed a bit…off. He could only hope that Aerith wasn't involved in any of it.

Yuffie was the first to question what they had all been thinking. "What…was that?"

They all looked about the street, but everything had seemed normal.

Tifa nervously looked over between Reno and the two kids. "I…I don't know."

Elmyra placed her hand on Cloud's shoulder. "Cloud…"

He turned back and stared at Elmyra. From looking into her eyes for a brief moment, he could tell that she was nervous and scared. A woman of her age hadn't witnessed the many fights and battles that they had fought, nor was she really fit to be found in such dangerous situations.

Cloud was concerned about her and questioned, "Elmyra, are you certain you want to be a part of all this? It's dangerous out here. We don't know what's out there. You should find someplace safe."

She wagged her finger in front of him. "Cloud, that heroic act of yours might have worked for my daughter, but it's not going to persuade me."

He muttered, "It didn't really work on her, either. You're just as stubborn as she is."

"She's right though, Cloud." Barret chimed in, "She's Aerith's momma, after all. She'd do 'bout anything for her. I understand how ya feelin', Elmyra. I've felt it to with Marlene."

The older woman nodded. "Exactly. This is my daughter we're talking about. I have to go."

Cloud nodded. "I understand. I wouldn't wa-"

"Cloud, look out!" Tifa shouted out.

From behind Cloud, a marlboro creature leapt from one of the buildings and struck Cloud down, sending the man to the ground with a hard thud.

Upon impact, Cloud winced and grunted out. "Damn it." He reached for his sword.

"What the hell is a monster like that doing the city?" Reno questioned.

From around the corner, they sensed more movement and heard the vicious cries and growls from more of the approaching monsters. They saw them then, as from around the street corners, the monsters approached in huge onslaughts. Within moments, the streets were flooded with snakes and wolverines, tall ogres, huge lizards and dark elemental creatures that seemed to leave the team completely surrounded with nowhere to run or hide. The monsters looked ferocious and terrifying, their bodies covered with dark blood.

The team could only assume that they were not the first victims that these creatures had come across.

"More of them?" Reno's eyes soon became as big as his mouth, as he soon realized the number of opponents they were truly up against.

Yuffie schooled him, flashing her shuriken. "Kick ass first, questions later!" Without hesitation, Yuffie charged into the crowd of enemies flinging her shuriken towards them.

Tifa looked about the monsters, confused. "They're coming from within the city? How?"

Cloud instructed. "No time for that! Look alive!" He fastened his hand around the sword, before proceeding to slice it right down the center of the marlboro, severing the being in two.

"Daddy!"Marlene cried out, warning her father as she saw a creature approach.

"Marlene!" He cried out in return.

Elmyra re-assured them. "Don't worry about us. I'll look after them! Don't get yourself killed!" She quickly grabbed both Marlene and Denzel by the arms and scurried through the crowds of monsters, not giving any of them the opportunity to attack. She quickly entered them inside one of the city buildings, before closing the door behind her.

'It might not hold them long, but it will have to do for now.'

Marlene began to cry, not wanting to peek out of the window of the building to see what was happening outside. She felt as though she might see her worst fears come true. Denzel calmly placed a hand on the crying girl's shoulder.

Elmyra lowered down to their level and wiped away the tears from Marlene's face. "Don't worry. I'm not going to let anything happen to you."

Marlene choked out in-between her sobs. "I'm not…worried about me. I don't want daddy to die. Tell me that he'll be okay, Elmyra."

Elmyra confidently spoke. "I am certain." She could only hope that she was much more convincing than how she actually felt.

"Come here." She quietly whispered out and took the two children into her arms, into a warm embrace.

Back out on the streets, Barret shot down one of the monsters before it could attack. "Pretty damn close. You think we could take 'em all?"

Cloud charged down the street, his sword pointed forward towards the creatures.

Tifa turned back to Barret. "He seems to think so."

"What am I supposed to do?" Reno questioned.

"Find a weapon." Barret instructed. "You didn't expect Tifa to beat ass for ya, did ya?"

"I suppose not." Reno sighed, exasperated. He immediately started searching through the streets to find something to use to his advantage.

"How many of them are there?" Tifa questioned.

"Too many to count right now. Give me five minutes and we'll see then!" Barret yelled out. Hetook his aim at one of the wolverine creatures lunging towards them and shot the creature downbeforeit pounced on them.

Tifa cheered. "Nice one!"

The pack of creatures must have sensed that one of their own had been defeated because soon, there were about a dozen of them that had made their way to surround Tifa and Barret.

"Any ideas?" Tifa glanced over her shoulder at Barret.

"Yep!" Barret raised his gun arm and shot at one of the wolves, which caused another to lunge towards the man.

Tifa caught the wolf in the air by its' hind legs and spun the creature about, before tossing it over the set of buildings. She felt breathless after the move. "Keep shooting!"

Barret shot down another one of the wolves, while Tifa managed to take down some on her own.

Meanwhile, Reno had been searching the street to find a weapon and his imagination was not letting him get any ideas.

"Weapon. Where's a damn weapon? Why don't I ever have a damn weapon!?"

Then, he saw it. Like a ray of sunlight from within dark clouds, it appeared before him.

"Yes!" He cheered out. His heart lifted when he found the bottle of vodka on the street corner. When he picked it up, an internal conflict in his mind took over.

'But it's liquor. You love liquor.' Reno thought to himself. "You're right. I do love liquor." He responded…to himself.

He looked up and saw Tifa give him the most perplexed look before continuing to fight off the back of creatures.

"Oh, what the hell." He opened the cap to the bottle and took a large gulp before sealing it again. He whispered to the bottle, "I'm sorry." He smashed the bottle into the ground, holding the handle in his hand, the sharp edges of the broken bottle pointing forwards.

Barret took out another one of the monsters. "One son of a bitch left! Leave it to me!" He turned around and took aim for the monster lunging at him. Before he could fire, the monster was struck down, leaving the man confused and an anticipating an attack.

"I DID IT!" Reno cheered, prying the bloodied bottle from the back of the monster's head.

Tifa exchanged glances between Reno, Barret and the creature, not exactly sure what to make of anything that just happened. "What the hell?"

Reno shrugged his shoulders and smiled, cockily. "What?"

She sighed. "Next time, you could be a little bit faster when our lives are on the line. Though, I do appreciate your excellent survival skills."

Reno leaned over to Barret. "Look at her. She digs me. She can't keep her eyes-."

"Shut up, fool! We got more monsters to take out!" Barret never let him finish.

On the opposite side of the center of town, Yuffie was having a ball taking out a couple of monsters of her own.

"Take this!" She flung her shuriken forwards, flying into the scalp of one of the giant ogres. The creature stuttered and limped for a moment before crashing forwards into the ground.

"Booyah!" Yuffie called out, before prying her weapon from the dead creature's forehead. She was so pre-occupied with her victory, that she did not notice the creature that was sneaking up behind her.

When she had turned around, she was caught off guard and was sent backwards to the ground. The creature was large and looked like it was made out of a rock. It seemed as though an entire shell covered its' body. She was certain that no attack that she did would possibly hurt the creature. The being stomped its' way towards her, brushing the large piles of debris and trash out of its' way as it did so. Yuffie's eyes widened, sensing that her end would be coming.

A shadow passed over her, as Cloud leapt into the air and brought his sword down onto the monster, splitting its' head open with a single slice.

Cloud landed down onto the floor and recuperated from the attack. He turned to her. "You alright?"

She nodded. "I'm fine, but I could have taken it out on my own, ya know!"

He muttered, "Alright. Have at it." He pointed towards another monster of the same exact species making its' way down the street.

Yuffie felt herself stiffen, as a coldness spread through her body. "On second thought…"

"Not chickening out are you?" He muttered.

She pointed to herself, shocked. "Who, me? Never. If there's one thing I'm not, it's a coward." The creature before her let out a roar. "I just wish I had re-enforcements."

There was a shot heard from behind them, which took both of them off guard. The creature before them crashed to the ground, dead.

Yuffie turned around, enraged from both the surprise of the attack and almost getting hit by a bullet. "Barret, what the – woah!"

In front of her, Vincent, Rude, Elena, Tseng and Reeve stood. Vincent's pistol was pointed forwards, still smoking from the shot that was fired.

"You called for re-enforcements, didn't you?" Reeve smiled.

"Alright men, split up and move out!" Elena demanded, as the four other men charged towards the monsters. Cloud followed off behind them.

Elena caught up with Yuffie. "You didn't think I'd let my best friend fight without me, did you?"

Yuffie smiled. "How could I? The two of us ALWAYS fight."

She smiled. "Yeah, but now we're on the same side. You ready for this?"

Yuffie nodded. "Let's go!"

The two women charged forward the other men.

Rude punched one of the creature's in the face, sending the monster away. He turned and looked over at his other companions to see how he was holding up.

Tseng called out to Cloud. "Where's Aerith?"

In-between slashing at nearly a dozen of the monsters, he replied. "We're still searching, but I'll find her by all means. That's definite." He slashed at the monsters again. When one of the monsters came charging at him from behind, Cloud leapt into the air, just in time to miss the shot that Vincent had fired from the monster.

Reeve sighed, "Geez, how many of these damn monsters are there?"

"Too many to count, so don't even start trying!" Yuffie called out, far too pre-occupied with her own dilemma of monsters to deal with.

"And you thought you needed re-enforcements." Reeve hung his head in defeat.

Suddenly, there was a sudden humming that was heard. It was distant, but with each passing second, it arrived closer and closer. A steady vibration began to pick up, traveling through the city.

Yuffie looked up into the sky, confused. "What's that?"

Cloud searched the sky, looking for the source of the disturbance. Everything seemed to fall distracted to the strange source. Even the monsters seemed to look around, perplexed by the sudden intrusion.

Then, from out of the sky, it came down. The Highwind.

"How are things lookin' down there!?" Cid called out from the intercom.

"Just superb!" Yuffie called out, sarcastically.

Cid snickered. "Well, don't get too complacent! Ya still got some tough ones to take out!" Cid commandeered the ship down a little bit further. "Thankfully, ya'll got some new company!"

From over the deck of the Highwind, they saw a figure leap down, a parachute strapped to their back, as it fluttered open upon their descent. When the figure reached the ground, the parachute dropped down over them.

They lifted the tarp-like material from over them an greeted his friends. "Hope you all didn't miss me too much!" Zack cheerfully called out to them.

"Zack." Cloud nodded and gave a small smile.

"Still using my sword, I see." Zack joked.

"Right. MY sword." Cloud replied.

"Well, you better make good use of it." Zack pointed at one of the fiends behind Cloud, which was taken out the moment the soldier became aware of it.

About another dozen more creatures came about.

"I can see Edge has been hit pretty badly, huh?" Zack sighed.

A howl came from the deck of the ship, as a creature leapt from the Highwind and pounced down onto one of the buildings, before proceeding to leap down towards the city streets. It lunged towards one of the creatures.

Yuffie cheered, "Red!"

The wolverine turned back to them. "I'm fighting, too, in honor of Bugenhagen!" Red proceeded to pounce down onto one of the creatures.

"Let's finish this!" Cloud muttered. He charged forward towards one of the fiends and performed his omni-slash attack, hitting several of the monsters all at once. He traveled so fast, he was boreal noticeable. Sparks flew from his sword whenever it contacted anything.

Vincent shot down one of the wolverines, causing another one of the fiends, a chimera of sorts to come charging after him. Vincent knelt down, while Yuffie got a running start forward, before Vincent clasped his hands together and threw the ninja up into the air. Once in the air, Yuffie did a small flip before throwing her shuriken into the creature's skull.

Just a few meters away, Elena and Tseng were doing their best to try and outrun and ogre that was after them. They ducked down behind a torn apart car, just as the monster swatted at them.

"Damn it!" Tseng shouted out.

Elena nodded. "That was close!" She caught her breath. "What do we do?"

"Hey, tough guy!" Zack called out to the monster. "Why don't you pick on someone your own size?" He kicked the ogre in the shin, causing it to turn back to him.

Elena brought her palm up to her forehead and muttered, "Why, Zack? Why?"

Zack's swift kick to the creature did not even affect it. If anything, it felt like a gentle pat. Zack didn't realize the gargantuan size of the ogre until it was domineering over him. He nervously laughed, backing up a few feet. The ogre let out a low grunt and began stomping forward. Each step that it took, the pavement beneath its' feet splintered and cracked a little more. The monster continued forward a little more, almost letting out what could only be described as a small laugh.

Before the ogre could attack Zack, Red had leapt into the air and landed onto the ogre's face, clawing at the creature's eyes. Red gashes appeared across the being's face as it quickly became bloodied.

"Nice one, Red!" Zack called out.

From around the corner of the street, Tifa, Reno and Barret came charging to help out their friends.

"Zack?" Tifa said.

"Tifa?" Zack said.

"Reeve?" Barret said.

"Tseng?" Tifa said.

"Barret?" Zack said.

"Yuffie!" Yuffie said.

"You guys came!" Tifa admired.

"Of course, we did!" Zack smiled. "We wouldn't let you guys have all the fun by yourself!"

Tifa let out a small laugh.

"Besides, have we got something planned for you! We gotta gather up all the fiends into one place."

Barret sighed. It was already hard enough just getting rid of them. "What for?"

Zack smiled and pointed up towards the deck of the Highwind. "Cuz of that."

They all looked up towards the deck of the Highwind.

Barret squinted a bit. "Is that…"

Reeve finished. "Cait Sith! I forgot I left that stuffed toy up there!" It was indeed a large plush Cait Sith that remained motionless on the deck of the ship.

Cloud paused for a moment. "Maybe I'm just not seeing the bigger picture here, but how is that thing going to get rid of all of the fiends?"

Zack smiled. "Oh. Shera built a bomb in it."

"WHAT?" Reeve yelled out. "How the hell did she do that?"

"She's the technician, not me." Zack smiled. "I just hope that damn thing detonates successfully. She's all the way back in Rocket Town with the baby, so if that thing doesn't work on the first try out, we're screwed. We'll have to take out each of these monsters by ourselves."

Yuffie pondered. "So, she's a mother and builds bombs in the spare time. Sounds pretty kickass to me!"

Reeve sighed, feeling disappointed that his plush weapon was being used in such a defacing way. "Well, let's just get on with it then, okay?"

Zack nodded. "We'll need to gather as many of the monsters as possible into the city. When that thing goes off, prepare for a big bang."

Tifa turned to him. "I don't think we'll have to worry about any of the citizens of the city. Most of them have already left Edge. The others…weren't as lucky."

Barret scowled, "Nuff of that, Tifa! We got a mission to do!" He looked up towards the Highwind. "Cid, we're countin' on ya!"

From the intercom of the Highwind, Cid's voice echoed down through the city streets. "We're gonna drop this thing right out of the sky! They won't know what hit em! Y'all better hold onto pants and get the hell outta there when it happens!"

"Right! Let's go!" Cloud nodded, heading off towards the monsters. The creatures instantly began to chase after him, who was purposely leading them around in circles to get them exactly where he wanted them to be.

Zack nodded and looked back at the other team members. "Good going. While Cloud keeps those creatures distracted, the rest of us section of any exits the monsters might take. Make sure all corner are guarded!"

Tifa and Reno rushed over to one corner of the street, blocking the sidewalk leading down to one of the city's alleys.

Tifa leaned over to Reno. "Do you really think this will work?"

Reno sighed, "I hope so. If anyone could do this, it's Cloud."

"You're right."

"I just hope we have a chance to get the hell out of this place before that thing detonates." Reno covered the sun with his hand as he looked up towards the Highwind.

Aboard the deck of the Highwind, Cid's crew was frantically running about, preparing to toss the large, plush Cait Sith over the ship's deck.

"We're ready to go, sir! We'll proceed with tossing the device over immediately!" One of the crew men stated.

"Hold it, ya buncha pinheads!" Cid scolded. "Don't be tossin' nothing over until I give y'all the signal. With your dumbasses running about like a bunch of idiots, the monsters, them down there and this dam ship will all go up in smoke! I've got a daughter to return home to, so get your asses in gear and follow my damn orders!" He managed to say in one breath.

"Yes, sir!"

Cid removed the cigarette from his mouth and stared down into the city streets, spotting the crowd of monsters that followed behind Cloud.

He let out a small smirk, "Well, what the hell are you waiting for!? Get the damn device ready!"

"Yes, sir!"

Cid scratched the rough hairs on his chin. "Hah! Time to blow 'em to bits. BAM! It's showtime!"

Cloud's heart raced as his feet traveled him faster than they could carry him. At this point, he had already discarded his sword and left it on the city streets somewhere. It made him feel lighter and made it easier for him to run. His breath came fast and rugged, as a coldness rushed up through his throat, begging for air. He felt breathless and knew that he couldn't keep up much longer. He took a brief look over his shoulder and saw nearly five dozen creatures trailing behind him. 'Bad move.'

He traveled back into the large opening at the center of the city, spotting each of his friends surrounding the corner exits of the central courtyard. He braced himself for whatever was to come ahead and prayed that this device would actually detonate.

He screamed out. "Everyone! Get ready to run and take cover!" He looked up towards the Highwind and gave a small nod.

The team braced themselves, watching as the monsters piled into the courtyard.

From the cockpit of the ship, Cid switched on the intercom and communicated to his crew members on the deck. "Alright, crew! Send the device down!"

One of the crew members looked up to the intercom. "Do you mean it this time?"

The other questioned. "Was that the signal?"

"Maybe he's just testing us?"

Cid's voice shrieked through the speaker. "DID ID STUDDER!? SEND THE DAMN PLUSH BOMB DOWN, YA IDIOTS!"

The two crew members shrugged. "I guess he's serious."

One of them reached into the mouth of the plush Cait Sith and found the timed device. "Hm…thirty seconds until detonation." He glanced over his shoulder to his fellow comrade. "That should be plenty of time, right?"

"Don't worry about it. They'll be fine." He reassured.

"Alrighty then. Bombs away, I guess!" The crew member pressed down onto a red button and a time immediately began counting down deep within the Cait Sith's body. The two crew members took hold of the plush toy on both sides, bringing it up to the railing, before tossing it overboard, sending it descending down into the center of the city.

Zack pointed upwards, catching the attention of both Red and Yuffie. "There it is!"

"Brace yourselves!" Reno called out.

Cloud continued his sprint forwards, seeing the Cait Sith falling down from the sky. The monsters were still after him.

The entire team felt as though their hearts were rising up into their throats by how fast they were beating.

The Cait Sith plush toy continued to fall until it landed on the ground with a gentle squeak, stopping just in front of the monsters. The creatures stopped abruptly, looking at the cute moogle toy before them. The creatures searched around, confused and perplexed as to what to make of the situation. Their gaze averted between the plush toy and each other.

Elena sighed, "It failed…"

"The device didn't work." Barret scoffed.

Cloud turned around, spotting the plush toy that had fallen behind him, separating him from the army of monsters. There was a silence that swept through the streets when the team realized they were vastly outnumbered.

Suddenly, Cloud heard a faint ticking noise. His eyes widened, before calling out. "Everyone! Get out and take cover! It's about to go off!" With that, Cloud took off down the city streets. Respectfully, each of his friends followed suit. Reno and Tifa, their hands interlaced with one another, sprinted down one of the alleys, while Zack, Yuffie and Red made their way down towards the opposite side of the central courtyard. Barret made his way back to where Elmyra was waiting with Marlene and Denzel and Vincent and the other Turks made their way closer towards the opposite district of Edge, where the Seventh Heaven was located. They ran faster than they had ever run in their lives.

The creatures were far too distracted by the sudden appearance of the plush toy that they had not even noticed the disappearance of their prey. One of the wolverine creatures approached the Cait Sith, sniffing the toy as if it was a fresh meal. The creature's mouth opened, flashing its' gaping jaws and drooling mouth. It sunk its' fangs into the plush and with a gentle squeak, ripped out a large portion of cotton from the plush's stomach.

The bomb detonated.

The explosion ripped through the center of the city and sent shockwaves outward, protruding down the alleys of Edge. The blast was strong and completely took out all of the monsters there. From the fiery impulse of the blast, some of the nearby city buildings shook and collapsed down. Glass and debris was sent flying everywhere, as smoke piled through the city's streets. For what seemed like an eternity, the blast ripped through the city, before it was finished and everything was quiet again.

Cloud covered his eyes and cough out, trying to see through the dark smoke that covered the area. The smoke was heavy and dark, nearly impossible to see through. He was met with a few shadows that emerged from within the smoke.

"Cloud, is that you?" One of the shadows called out.

"Yeah!" He responded.

When he walked up closer to the shadows, he could make out that it was Zack, Yuffie, Reno, Tifa and Red.

"Gawd! That nearly gave me a heart attack!" Yuffie responded.

"Hopefully, everyone's safe." Tifa nodded towards the ninja.

Reno nodded. "Let's head back towards the Seventh Heaven. The rest of the Turks are waiting there." He began to lead them off down the street.

Just a few steps blocks over, Barret entered into one of the boarded city buildings, where Elmyra, Marlene and Denzel had been staying.

"Daddy!" Marlene rejoiced when her father had returned. "You're safe!"

He reassured her, "Of course, I'm safe. A few of those baddies weren't gonna take me out!"

Elmyra stepped towards him and replied nervously. "What happened out there? The smoke is so dark, we couldn't even see outside the windows."

"There was a large explosion that took out the creatures."

Denzel questioned, "And what about Cloud and the others? Are they okay?"

"They should be fine. Let's get outta here and meet back up with them." Barret led the three of them out of the building and led them into the streets that had been covered in smoke and debris. The three were instantly taken aback by the complete devastation that wreaked havoc throughout the street. Barret's heart felt heavier when he realized how the exposure of all of this violence and devastation must have taken a definite toll on Marlene and Denzel. Children of their age typically were not exposed to this kind of violence, but surprisingly, this was not a first time for either one of them.

In fact, Barret and all of his friends were exposed to the many dangerous aspects of the world right from a very young age.

The four of them eventually met back up with Cloud and the others, as they made their way through the devastated city.

Zack remarked, examining the charred buildings and debris that cluttered the street. "Shera certainly packed that thing with a strong punch, didn't she?"

Yuffie nodded, "Well, certainly strong enough to take out all of those monsters. Do you think there are any left?"

Tifa thought for a second before concluding. "Maybe so, but that blast took out the bulk of them, so they shouldn't be a problem."

Barret nodded, holding onto Marlene's hand, careful leading her through the street. "Well, guess that takes care of them. All that's left now is…"

Cloud concluded. "…Aerith." He looked over at Elmyra.

Elmyra already knew what must have been racing through Cloud's mind. She led him along, comforting him. "Cloud, don't worry. She'll be alright. She's a strong girl and can take care of herself."

"I know. I just rather have her here, so I can keep an eye on her."

She sighed. "Well, you are her bodyguard. I can't blame you, I suppose. I understand. I would do anything to keep her safe, too, Cloud."

He sighed, unsure exactly what to think.

Elmyra had decided to do her best to make Cloud see the bright side. "At least she wasn't caught up in all this mess that took place in the city."

That was little consolation for him, however.

When they continued through the city, they eventually met back up with the Turks on one of Edge's streets that led towards the entrance of the city. There seemed to be a common sadness that was swept across all of their faces.

Reno walked up to them and gave Rude a light punch on the shoulder. "Hey guys. Glad to see ya made it out of that mess alive."

Tseng nodded. "You, as well."

Reeve sighed. "We were the lucky ones out of all of this."

Tifa shook her head, perplexed. "What do you mean? I would hardly call what we just went through 'lucky'?"

Elena pointed down the street, towards the entrance of Edge. "We found more luck than them."

Their eyes guided from Elena's hand and looked over towards the entrance of the city. All of their hearts suddenly felt heavier when they realized the magnitude of the attack that they had just survived.

Cloud sighed, "All those people…"

The city street before them was overflowing with dead bodies that were strewn about the city. Fathers, mothers, children, workers, married couples, government members, all different types of people of Edge that had been met with the same fate. It was a horrific sight to see, one that they would never be able to erase from their minds.

* * *

The buggy holding Aerith, Tidus and Squall skidded through the grasslands, approaching the city. They glided past some of the other soldiers on their way into the city.

"What's that?" Tidus pointed out to a large plume of smoke that was making its' way from within the city.

Aerith shook her head. "It looks like some sort of explosion happened."

Squall added. "Think we're too late?"

"I have a feeling we're going to find out soon enough."

From within the darkness of the cloud, above the city, Aerith was able to make out the Highwind.

"There!" She pointed out, catching the attention of the two uniformed soldiers. "That's my friend's ship. Cloud and my other friend's must already be in the city! Head there!"

Almost as soon as Tidus had increased the speed of the car, a round of fiends emerged from within the grasslands surrounding the car. The creatures quickly lunged after the car, chasing after it.

"Damn it!" Squall winced. "I should have expected it."

"Think we can fight them?" Aerith suggested.

Tidus shook his head and remained focused on the road ahead of them. "We don't got time for that! If we stop this thing now, we might be done for! We'll just have to keep them on our tails until we can make it into the city!"

Aerith replied, dryly. "Then, I suggest you move a little bit faster."

Tidus decided that he was not going to entertain the young woman by arguing with her and just decided to accelerate the car faster. He looked in the mirror of the car and spotted the leopard-type fiends that were prowling closely behind the car. They were right on their tails every step of the way.

Aerith took hold of the White Materia and held it there within both of her palms. She closed her eyes for a moment and thought, 'Preparation for the real thing, I guess. Let's give it a shot.' She kept her eyes closed and focused on this deep-seated energy that was found somewhere within her. With each second that she focused on it, the energy seemed to grow stronger. The White Materia began to glow a bright green color, glowing stronger and brighter with the energy that was growing inside of her.

She pulled down the window of the buggy and positioned herself so that she was facing outside the open window.

"Aerith, what are you doing!?" Tidus called out, struggling to operate the car while being distracted.

Aerith didn't answer him and instead, protruded her arm out from within the car window. She felt all of the energy within her increase to its' fullest potential. From within her palms, a green power shot from within, striking down the creatures behind them. The power was greener and brighter than anything she had ever seen, almost like the powers of the Lifestream, the White Materia and her own Cetra abilities combined and melded into one.

When the attack finished, the monsters were reduced to nothing but dust traveling in the breeze behind the car.

"What was that?" Squall questioned.

Aerith smiled. "It's how I'm going to stop Jenova."

Tidus chuckled. "She's about to be in for a real shock, isn't she?"

Squall nodded. "I guess we should have expected that it would be hard getting back towards the city, especially with Jenova and Sephiroth calling the shots. They knew that we would be coming, so they purposely made this entire chase an obstacle."

Aerith thought to herself, "They knew that we would be coming." A perplexed, but mischievous look came across her face.

Tidus noticed the change in the woman and voiced his concerns. "Aerith, are you alright?"

She nodded and stated, determinedly. "I have an idea, but it will have to wait until we arrive in the city."

"An idea?" Squall questioned.

She smiled. "I've done it a couple of times before, but I guarantee you that it will work. Just trust me."

Tidus returned the smile. "Well, alright then! Let's get this show on the road!"

Aerith nodded and looked down at the White Materia in her palms. 'The battle between Jenova and I ends here today and it was long overdue. She will get exactly what she deserves. This all ends today.'

* * *

The soldiers soon arrived into the city, where they had started to mourn the loss of the many people that had died that day. The center of the city looked absolutely devastated and they all knew it would take quite some time for this part of the city to be repaired. Just up ahead of them, Cloud and the others were sifting their way through the debris.

Cloud looked up to notice the soldiers making their way towards the city, before he looked back down at the countless bodies that were scattered about the streets.

"So many people lost their lives today…"

"Damn, those monsters…" Barret muttered.

Tifa sighed. "This is a disaster."

"Yes, it certainly is." A voice from behind them called out.

They all turned to the voice, but it was Cloud who instinctively knew just who it belonged to. Not to his surprise, he turned to find the white-haired, armored ex-general, standing before them all alongside his mother.

Cloud muttered under his breath. "Sephiroth..."

"It's good to see you again, Cloud."

Cloud had straightened before gripping onto his sword tighter. "You…you were behind all of this, weren't you? The both of you. What are you two doing back?"

Jenova snickered, "Don't think some foolish Ancient guardian angel came keep you protected from us forever, Cloud."

His eyes widened, "Aerith…what did you to do her!? So help me…" His heart beat increased. If they said one wrong word or made one wrong movement, Cloud would destroy both of them in a heartbeat.

Sephiroth smirked. "We don't know where she is. She escaped us, which is why we're paying all of you a little visit before we destroy this city and all of you along with it."

Jenova stepped closer to Cloud, as the air around her became frigid and cold. "And you're going to tell me exactly where she is. You'll have her die in your arms again, Cloud."

Cloud had felt sick to his stomach, just envisioning it, but he remained silent. They would have to kill him before they ever laid another finger on Aerith.

Jenova sneered, "Where is she?"

Cloud remained silent. Even if he didn't actually know where Aerith was, he wasn't going to tell them, regardless.

Jenova raised one of her limbs upwards, which sent out a laser beam directly at Cloud, piercing through him and sending him flying backwards, landing on his stomach.

"Cloud!" Yuffie called out.

Cloud rolled onto his side and started to recuperate from the attack, wiping away the blood that had started to seep through his shirt.

The sudden disturbance caused the guards on the outskirts of Edge to gather and arrive at the confrontation.

"Stand aside." Sephiroth warned, pointing his masamune at all of them. The guards instantly froze. They had only heard legends of the great Sephiroth and knew that, even if they had him outnumbered as an entire army, they were still most likely not a match for him. They were not going to make any foolish decisions.

"Anyone else? To whomever shall give me her whereabouts, perhaps I will spare your life." Jenova began to persuade them.

Zack sighed, "Please Jenova, even you aren't that noble."

Jenova brushed off the comment and made her way towards Marlene, who was cowering behind Barret and Denzel. "What about this little one? Surely you must know where the flower lady is, right?"

Marlene gulped down and nervously shook her head. She felt a sort of paralyzing fear shoot through her. She was unable to move or say anything.

Barret raised his gun arm at Jenova. "So, help me, you little bitch, if you-"

Barret was cut off when he felt the steel rim of Sephiroth's blade press up against his neck, just short of cutting the skin. The burly man reluctantly backed down, not wanting to jeopardize his or his daughter's life.

Jenova snickered, realizing she had each and every one of them in her pocket. There was nothing that they could do now to stop her. If they would not comply with her demands, she had other measures that she would take to get them to listen to her.

"Nobody?" Jenova let out a wicked laugh. "You're telling me she lived in this city, you were her friends and family and yet, not one of you has seen her?"

They all remained silent.

Jenova let out an exasperated sigh. "Very well then. I will kill each of you until she forces to show herself. Any second thoughts?"

They all remained silent still.

Jenova smiled, wickedly. "Alright, then. Have it your way. I think I shall start with this one over here." She made her way over towards Elmyra and menacingly approached the older woman.

When Jenova sensed the fear that was instilled in Elmyra's heart, the gruesome smile on her face only stretched wider. "Where is she?"

Elmyra was quiet. What Jenova didn't realize was that, it wasn't fear running through Elmyra's heart, but rather anger and overwhelming love for her family. She would do anything for her daughter's protection.

A look of disgust washed over Jenova's face. "Nothing at all? You would sacrifice your own life for the sake of your daughter?"

Elmyra stared Jenova in the eyes, almost as if they pierced right through her. "Yes."

Elmyra raised her fist and punched Jenova right across the face, sending the grotesque woman flailing backwards.

Sephiroth stood to the side and chuckled, not willing to help his mother. He was far too entertained.

Jenova brought one of her limbs to her deformed nose and swept up the blood that had started to gather there. She felt enraged that such a meager, old woman such as Elmyra, had dared to put her hands on her!

"You little bitch! I'm certainly going to enjoy killing you and your daughter." Jenova raised her hand to strike down Elmyra.

Suddenly, a bright flash traveled through the area and struck Jenova down, sending the creature to the ground. The team could not make out exactly what it was, it came and went so quickly.

Jenova let out a snarl from the attack and reared away from Elmyra.

From within the crowd of soldiers, one of them got to their feet and shot up towards the center of the street, heading right towards Jenova. The soldiers became abuzz with curiosity and concern for the solider.

"What the hell is he thinking?" One of them called out.

In the midst of the distraction, Cloud clutched his sword and raised it towards Sephiroth, who managed to bring up his own sword to clash. When the two swords met, sparks emitted from the two of them.

Cloud grimaced.

Sephiroth smiled into Cloud's eyes. "Meet me at the Shinra Headquarters, Cloud. This fight is between you and me. We'll finish it there." With that Sephiroth flew into the sky and disappeared into a blast of darkness.

"Sephiroth! Come back, you coward!" Cloud called out to him, but the ex-general was already gone.

The mysterious soldier ran towards Jenova and sent another blast of power flying towards the creature, sending Jenova backwards. The team watched in awe. They weren't certain what was happening, but the soldier was definitely getting the best of Jenova.

The soldier flung their fist, connecting with Jenova's face, before swinging their leg around to strike Jenova in the back. With each attack, Jenova felt like a piece of her was being ripped away, lost forever. An anguished cry emerge from within Jenova.

The soldier let out another burst of green energy, which shot from within their palms, aimed directly at Jenova. The burst erupted from within Jenova's body, leaving her breathless and contorted, almost as if the life was being sucked directly out of her. She fell backwards and landed backwards with a hard thud.

She watched as the hooded soldier approached her. She felt her body writhe and contort, as it slowly began to wither and fade away into dust. "Who-who…are you…?" Jenova managed to stutter out.

The soldier approached the fallen creature and stopped just in front of her. They raised their hands up to their helmet and discarded the item, allowing it to drop to the ground.

It was Aerith.

An exhale of shock emerged from within Jenova, as her eyes widened and her heart stopped. She exhaled out with her last breath, "Cetra…"

Jenova's head fell backwards, the dull, lifeless whites of her eyes staring up into the sky that she had descended from many years ago. Her body continued to writhe and wither away. Jenova was no more.

A confident smile emerged on Aerith's lips. This war waged between them was finally over.

"Aerith!" Yuffie cheered, before rushing up the woman and wrapping her arms around also rushed up to her daughter and embraced her.

"Are you alright, dear? You had us all so worried." Her mother said.

She reassured them. "I'm fine, really."

"Aerith…"Cloud whispered.

She turned to face him, a wide smile growing across her face.

"I think it's about time we get out of here." Reno smiled and winked at Tifa, who returned the smile.

Aerith rushed forwards to Cloud and embraced him, resting her head onto his chest. Cloud placed his head down on top of hers. The two stayed like that for a while.

Aerith could swear that she could hear Cloud's heart beating almost out of his chest. She smiled against him and whispered, "I'm so sorry for everything."

He let out a small chuckle. "You have no need to apologize. You just nearly gave me a heart attack, though." He bent down and captured her lips with his own in a soft, chaste kiss.

"Cloud…" Aerith felt so relieved to be back in his arms. Ever since the moment she was taken away from them, this is all that she wanted.

Cloud stuttered, "Aerith, I…Sephiroth, he's-"

She silenced him. "I know."

"I have to go, Aerith."

She nodded. "I'll go with you. We'll fight this together."

"No, Aerith. I can't risk losing you again. Stay here with the others."

Suddenly, her heart felt heavy. "But Cloud…"

"This is my fight with Sephiroth. I should be the ones to finish this." He looked around at all of their friends. "I'm sorry everyone for getting you involved in all of this for the past couple of years."

Zack nodded. "We're your friends, Cloud. It's not a problem at all."

"We're all like family. We'll always be there for one another." Tifa nodded.

"I understand…and I thank all of you, but this is my fight with Sephiroth. I should be the one to finish this." He looked over at Aerith and saw a slight sadness flickering in her eyes. "Please Aerith. I don't want you involved in this anymore. I just want you to be safe. I hope you understand."

She wrapped her arms around him and embraced him tightly. "I do, Cloud. I understand. Go and get things settled."

Cloud's presence lingered there for a moment, taking in the touch of Aerith, her scent, her voice, everything about her. He looked into her green eyes and turned away.

Aerith watched at Cloud turned away from her and began to walk away. She felt that things shouldn't be this way, that she should be there for Cloud, but she understood why he wanted to go by himself. She felt pushed over the edge, like all she wanted to was be with Cloud forever.

"Cloud!" She called back up to him and ran after him.

He turned around and was met with the flower girl throwing her arms around him and passionately pressing her lips up against his. Her lips moved against his rhythmically, before pulling away.

Aerith whispered into his neck, "I love you."

He whispered back, words only for her to hear. "I love you, too." A small smile crept onto his face, before he turned away from her and began to make his way down the street.

Aerith stood there, watching as Cloud disappeared into the city, their friends standing behind her.

* * *

Aerith looked outside of the window of the Seventh Heaven. All of their friends had gathered there after the battle to recuperate and mend their wounds. From the window, she tried to make out the Shinra Headquarters beyond the city's limits. She imagined that at that moment Cloud and Sephiroth might be caught in battle. 'Maybe he's injured? Maybe he's dying?'

She wanted more than anything to just be with him and help him in battle, until this was all finished. She understood Cloud's desire to have her not become involved, but how was she just going to sit back and watch while Cloud fought another battle on his lonesome. This was supposed to be their fight together. Aerith didn't care if it meant putting herself in danger again. She would be there for Cloud, always.

She decided right then. No amount of nervously pacing around the Seventh Heaven waiting for Cloud's return was going to help the situation. 'I'm going to find Cloud and I'm going to help him.' Her mind was set.

She made her way down the stairwell and entered into the bar of the Seventh Hevean, making her way towards the door.

"Hey Aerith! Where are you goin'?" Barret called out.

There was no use trying to lie to all of them. She admitted. "I'm going to the Shinra Headquarters. I can't stay here. Cloud's there. I have to be there for him."

"What?" Yuffie called out.

"Didn't Cloud say for you to stay here with us? To not get involved?" Red questioned.

"Do you really think I could just stand around here while Cloud might be in trouble?" She countered. "I'm going to do whatever it takes to ensure Cloud's safety."

"Aerith…" Her mother sighed.

"I don't care if I have to fight Sephiroth myself. I'll do whatever it takes."

"Aerith, that's insane," Tifa said.

"She's got a point." Reno stepped in front of her, blocking the door. "Have you lost your mind, Aerith?"

"You are not going to persuade me in staying here. Get. Out. Of my way."

Zack spoke out. "We're not going to let you do this-"

"I have to go. It doesn't matter what happens now, as long as I can find Cloud. If you can't understand that-"

"No, Aerith." Zack shook his head. "We're not going to let you do this…_alone_."

Aerith looked around at her friends, who all stood up and nodded. Her friends began to gather their weapons and prepared for battle. A smile grew on Aerith's face, realizing that her friends were going to battle with her. She watched all of them. Barret, Tifa, Reno, Yuffie, Red, Vincent, Rude, Elena, Tseng, Reeve and Zack. Without another word, they all began to prepare for the final battle ahead of them.

Barret cheered out and raised his arm. "Let's show Sephiroth what AVALANCHE is really made of!"

Aerith smiled at all of her friends before her, never feeling prouder to have met such people in her life that she could call family. Her heart uplifted. This was their last battle. They were all going to fight together one last time.

"Let's go!"

* * *

With his sword strapped to his back, Cloud looked upwards at the Shinra Headquarters.

"Sephiroth, this ends here."

Thank you everyone for reading! Sorry it hadn't been updated in about a month, but I hope it delivered! There are only two more chapters left in the story and I'm hoping to have it finished soon! Thanks again for reading and please review.


End file.
